Hockey: When a spectator becomes a player during a prestigious NHL match

On the night of Saturday to Sunday, David Ayres, a resurfacer (ice-skating machine) driver in everyday life, attended a game between Toronto and the Carolina Hurricanes. In a contest of exceptional circumstances, the 42-year-old Canadian came in as goalkeeper during the game.

David Ayres often freelances for a night as a reserve keeper for Toronto, a role often given to semi-pros paid $ 500 to pass the match in the stands. But that evening, the two Hurricanes goalkeepers were injured, a fairly rare event that therefore allowed the Canadian to play for the North Carolina team.

Where were you the night Dave Ayres grabbed his first NHL win !? pic.twitter.com/Lpb4HoZdTC

With two goals conceded and eight shots blocked, David Ayres, a one-night player, allowed the Hurricanes to win 6-3 against Toronto, his team at heart. The Canadian, who had to stop his hockey career at the age of 26 following a kidney transplant, lived a real dream: “I lived the strongest moment of my life. When I was told that I had to prepare, I was in shock, but I really loved this moment, "he explained when he returned to the locker room after the meeting.

This interview says it all.

Dave Ayres will have a memory for a life time. pic.twitter.com/upqccSjVVm

Ayres was not the first spectator to become a player in an NHL game. In 2018, the Chicago Blackhawks had to use a reserve goalkeeper. Scott Foster, a 38-year-old accountant, came in and made a faultless game by deflecting seven opposing shots.

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