Column: Wild and Wylie – There’s no need to fix the emergency goalie rule

The Carolina Hurricanes had a problem. Midway through the second period of their away game Feb. 22 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, both of the Hurricanes goalies were injured. Without a goalie, the team is not eligible to play.

Enter David Ayers, the Maple Leafs zamboni driver and emergency backup goalie. Every stadium in the NHL has an emergency backup goalie for every game, on call to play for either team if needed.

At 42 years old, Ayers took the ice for the Hurricanes, saved eight shots and recorded a win, becoming the oldest goalie ever to win in his first appearance.

After his performance, the National Hockey League general managers began considering taking away the “emergency backup goalie” rule for competitive and safety reasons. Deputy Commissioner of the NHL Bill Daly said, “It happens very, very rarely, but when it happens, it obviously raises everybody’s attention to the issue and whether there are fixes that need to be made to that particular issue. … We want what’s best for the game, and we want to make sure people aren’t putting themselves in danger by playing goal in a National Hockey League game.”

But changing the rule would be a mistake for the NHL. The emergency backup goalie is an entertaining component of the NHL when it is used, and it draws some much-needed attention for a sport struggling to find its place in an oversaturated American sports market.

The “emergency backup goalie” rule is a favorite among fans. In the times it has been used, it has created remarkable stories, dominating headlines, generating fan interest and prompting the underdog narratives so critical in sports.

This is no more true than with Ayers.

Digging into his past has catapulted Ayers’ story into viral status. He was once the practice goalie for the Maple Leafs, but his own career was cut short by health issues. Ayers is a kidney transplant survivor, according to SentinelSource.com.

With appearances on the Today Show, the Stephen Colbert late-night show and ESPN, Ayers has leapt into international fame, elevating hockey to the top of the American sports media market. Ayers was even named an honorary North Carolina citizen by Gov. Roy Cooper.

That attention and interest into the story has generated national headlines and given hockey a spotlight, so it would be a shame for the league to damage its own interests by taking away the rule that created these stories. 

For fans of the NHL, seeing an emergency goalie make an appearance, and even better, lead his team to a win, is a delightful change of pace in the 82-game marathon that is the NHL season. Look at the way the Hurricanes embraced Ayers since his appearance.

The team sold official Ayers Hurricanes T-shirts, donating all the profit to a charity of Ayers’ choice. He was honored at the PNC Arena, the Hurricanes home stadium, and became an international sensation. Fans and other players line up to take pictures with the new hockey legend. 

The NHL currently ranks fifth in TV viewership nationally, according to Sports Avis. Stories like Ayers’ are a significant boost to a sport in need of attention and views, and emergency backup goalies give the league that attention once or twice a season when they are needed.

As far as the league’s safety considerations are concerned, no emergency goalie has ever suffered an injury while playing. They are usually established youth and collegiate goalies who, like Ayers, failed to find a place in the NHL. It would be a mistake for the league to take away a good thing because of a misguided concern.

It has been a joy to learn about Ayers’ story, cheer for him and see his popularity soar. Hopefully, the NHL won’t shoot itself in the foot by fixing something that isn’t broken at all.

Wylie is the assistant sports editor. Follow him on Twitter.