For Toronto Maple Leafs fans, they have watched their team go through endless amounts of heartbreak, especially in recent years, as they try to end their Stanley Cup title drought, dating back to 1967. They went nearly 20 years without a playoff series win until their first-round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023. There was the blown 4-1 lead in the third period of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in their 2013 first-round series. Those are just a couple of examples for a team that had been in the playoffs for every year since 2016…until this past season.
When it comes to painful memories in franchise history, one the Leafs fans could not get over was the fact that they lost to an emergency backup goalie, who just so happened to be an employee in the organization, David Ayres.
Maple Leafs suffered new low in 2020 loss to emergency backup goalie David Ayres
The Carolina Hurricanes, who were on the road against the Maple Leafs on Feb. 23, 2020, had a goaltending issue. James Reimer suffered an injury early in the game, leaving Petr Mrazek to fill in. Ayres was the designated emergency goalie for the night in Scotiabank Arena for both teams. Then, Mrazek went down with an injury in the second period after a collision with Kyle Clifford. So that left the Hurricanes with Ayres as their last goalie option.
In typical Maple Leafs fashion, Ayres put up a super human effort. Ayres stopped 8-of-10 shots from the Maple Leafs. What makes it that much more painful for the Leafs is that Ayres stopped eight consecutive shots, helping the Hurricanes secure the 6-3 win. That’s right, the 42-year-old Zamboni driver who worked as the practice goalie for the Maple Leafs and their AHL affiliate, the Marlies, defeated them on their home ice. To add more salt in the wound, Ayres officially became the oldest goalie in NHL history to win a game.
Of course, it had to be the Leafs to be involved in this. It fit the theme of heartbreak and pain they have dealt with on-ice over numerous decades. Now, it seems unlikely that any other team will endure a similar humiliation as the Leafs did in this 2020 game against the Hurricanes.
NHL’s new emergency backup goalie rules take effect for 2026-27 season
Last year, the NHL and NHLPA officially agreed to terms on a ratified collective bargaining agreement, which officially kicks in on Sept. 16, 2026 and runs until 2030. There are some rule changes, such as teams only being able to re-sign players to contract extensions no longer than seven-years, as opposed to the eight-year limit they previously had. But, there are some new rules for emergency backup goalies.
Under the new CBA, every team will need to have a full-time replacement goalie that will travel with the team. The other emergency backup goalie rules still apply, as the player can not have more than 80 games experience, have played in the pros in the previous three seasons, or have played on a non-tryout contract. The key change is that both teams will have an emergency goalie with them, whether at home or on the road.
So, there won’t be a situation where a team employee will suit up for the opposing team in an emergency situation. With that, it has been ensured that no team will go through what the Leafs went through with Ayres. Even with the change, the Leafs will still be remembered for losing to their own employee who suited up for the opposing team. It will go down as one of the franchise’s lowest points in history.
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