Toronto (AP) - After his curious appearance as a goalkeeper in the NHL, Toronto's ice machine driver David Ayres is celebrated - and marketed. The Carolina Hurricanes invited the 42-year-old to play the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
In addition, the club from the North American ice hockey league NHL now sells T-shirts with Ayres' name and number 90. Ayres works as a caretaker for the Toronto Maple Leafs and occasionally drives the ice machine. On Saturday, however, he was used as a so-called "emergency goalkeeper on call" - in the opponent's jersey. In the hurricanes, both goalkeepers were injured, so that Ayres switched from the stands to ice in the second third.
Tuesday is "David Ayres Day," Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin announced on Twitter. The Hurricanes play their home games in the city of North Carolina. "See you on Tuesday, Davey," the club wrote, announcing that Ayres would use the Hurricanes siren to play the Dallas Stars. By cranking, the device generates noises like a storm warning and is used in front of the games and in the one-third breaks.
"They fly me down to Carolina for their game on Tuesday so I can spend some time with the boys, which is great," said Ayres in Toronto, praising the hurricanes as "a great team and club." The NHL published an award on its homepage entitled "The Legend of Dave Ayres". He underwent a kidney transplant in 2004. Part of the income from the sale of T-shirts therefore goes to a foundation for kidney patients, the hurricanes announced.