This is the best rule in all of sports we want to see this more often.
EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
71–80 of 98 posts
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#72My favorite EBUG story - the GM of the Rangers forced to play goalie in the Stanley Cup final:
https://nypost.com/video/rangers-gm-lester-patrick-plays-goa...
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
>These guys aren’t usually that good To further this point, the person in this article is nearly blind in one eye. And on three, I agree. But the rule also applies to playoffs and it's interesting to imagine how you would play with your favorite team's Stanley Cup dreams riding on it. More so when you add in how the city would react to your actions.
I don't think it applies in the playoffs. Last night in the Hurricanes Bruins game, canes goalie left game early in the first period. The backup entered the game, and during the intermission they showed another canes goalie that had gotten dressed and was waiting in the locker room if needed. This goalie is a player for the canes AHL team, and had actually started a game for the canes earlier in the season. So it see…
The rules specify that the EBUG needs to be available for playoff games, though it does also say that if both goalies are injured any member of the player roster can dress as a goalie. And in the playoffs the roster limit becomes 50, so it's unlikely to come up unless all the other goalies under contract are also deep in the playoffs.
Waiting in the locker room is key though, you can only break the 20 players dressed rule if both goalies are injured.
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
The obvious solution is to allow a trainer/coach to suit up in emergencies, teams travel with enough personnel that I'd be shocked if someone isn't as capable as most of the EBUGs. And I do think keeping talent playing rather than coaching is one of the primary reasons they don't change the rule. With my rule change, if you're a 24 year old ECHL goalie how much money would it take to accept an EBUG "trainer" job? How…
Each team brings their own third goalie when it really matters, in the playoffs, and yeah, sometimes it's one of the coaches or trainers, but more often they just bring somebody who plays goalie a lot in his free time, just not at a professional level.
The third goalie would need to be one of their 50 players under contract, so it'd have to be a professional.
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think there’s a few reasons they don’t worry about it: 1. This very rarely comes up at all. 2. These guys aren’t usually that good (by NHL standards) and you’ve probably lost the game anyway. You’re relying on your defense to keep the puck away from them more than you’re relying on them to excel. 3. (Probably most important to your point). This is one of the best days in this guy’s life. He’s In an NHL game and wil…
> These guys aren’t usually that good (by NHL standards) and you’ve probably lost the game anyway. Interestingly, EBUGs have a pretty good record -- teams using an EBUG have won 3 of 4 games they've been used in. I think #3 factors into it: the players know that a "normal" (to be clear: while EBUGs aren't NHL caliber, they're not scrubs or beer leaguers, either) guy has gotten the night of a lifetime, and they'll (ba…
>"EBUGs aren't... beer leaguers"
is contradicted by the stories in this thread
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#76I'm going to do all of you a favor - this is one of the greatest stories ever. EBUG from just 2 years ago. Here's the incident as it happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0JTRm-wf2E&ab_channel=Slick... The EBUG was the zamboni driver for the home team junior team. And also a practice goalie. He comes out in helmet, pads and breezers (pants) of the home team, and even skates to the wrong goal because...wrong team…
Thanks for posting. We watched the retrospective as a family with breakfast today.
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
> These guys aren’t usually that good (by NHL standards) and you’ve probably lost the game anyway. Interestingly, EBUGs have a pretty good record -- teams using an EBUG have won 3 of 4 games they've been used in. I think #3 factors into it: the players know that a "normal" (to be clear: while EBUGs aren't NHL caliber, they're not scrubs or beer leaguers, either) guy has gotten the night of a lifetime, and they'll (ba…
> Interestingly, EBUGs have a pretty good record -- teams using an EBUG have won 3 of 4 games This is mostly coincidental: the goalies only appeared in the dying minutes or seconds of games their teams were already leading.
My point is more that, given the wide skill gap between an NHL-caliber player and a EBUG, there's a reasonable chance that the EBUG would "blow" the lead (a hockey goaltender is one of the most consequential positions in sports, probably second to a gridiron football quarterback). Of the four EBUG appearances, three were no-decision games (the lead didn't change after the EBUG came in) and one win (a come-from-behind victory after the EBUG came in).
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
> These guys aren’t usually that good (by NHL standards) and you’ve probably lost the game anyway. Interestingly, EBUGs have a pretty good record -- teams using an EBUG have won 3 of 4 games they've been used in. I think #3 factors into it: the players know that a "normal" (to be clear: while EBUGs aren't NHL caliber, they're not scrubs or beer leaguers, either) guy has gotten the night of a lifetime, and they'll (ba…
>"EBUGs aren't... beer leaguers" is contradicted by the stories in this thread
Most EBUGs had their career apex in either minor leagues or NCAA D-I college hockey; while the EBUGs may still play in local beer leagues, the colloquialism doesn't really apply to them ("beer leaguer" being a pejorative that implies a player's career apex was in a beer league).
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why would there be 20 people on call? Is there a backup for every position? Or do you mean only one or two of those are on call for a specific game?
It's probably not a formal on call where people are required to be available, just a list of people that are willing to jump in if they can.
Imagine 19 other people being 'too busy' to go to an NHL game with a small chance to play goalie.
Re: EBUG: The NHL's emergency backup goalie rule
#80Of the major professional sports in the US, hockey goalie feels like the only position where this could happen. You could do it for kicker/punter in the NFL, but even then there’s a player on the roster who’s serviceable and then you can alter game strategy to minimize the need for kicking/punting.
If you stop 90 out of 100 shots, you’re a replacement-level goalie in the NHL. If you stop 94 out of 100, you’re one of the best of all time. So yeah, even if you can only stop 75 out of 100, that might get you through a period or two as the emergency backup.
Hey, even Patrick Roy had a bad night and only stopped 10 out of 16 before.