Former Maple Leafs Zamboni driver who won a game against them as emergency goalie signs a contract

While using emergency backup goaltenders (ebug) is extremely uncommon, teams may be forced to do so in certain situations. There's always someone willing to step in if a team loses both of its goalies to injuries in the same game.

David Ayres made headlines in the NHL in 2019-20 when he was called up to be the backup goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes. The Toronto Maple Leafs zamboni driver would go on to block eight of the ten shots he faced in that game, assisting Carolina in defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team's response to him following the game was remarkable.

Even though Ayres hasn't played professionally since then, he is still well-known in the hockey community. It was recently revealed that Ayres is officially signing a new contract with the OSHL's Richmond Hill Coyotes.

This is a huge deal for 47-year-old Ayres, who hopes to carry on with his professional hockey career after one of the league's best one-game stints ever. The Coyotes are bringing him in at age 47 in an attempt to garner some attention and some excellent goaltending on the back end, but he hasn't been playing at a high level since this game nearly five years ago, when he was 42.

We will now see if David Ayres can recreate the magic in the OSHL and put the Richmond Hill Coyotes on the map. Although it happened years ago, the David Ayres game in the NHL is one of the most memorable games in recent NHL history.