Opinion: NHL Needs to Fix Emergency Backup Goalie Problem

Zamboni driver David Ayres, who became the first emergency backup goalie to win an NHL game, became an instant celebrity as his story blew up around the internet, landing him TV interviews and other appearances, culminating with his stick ending up in the Hockey Hall of Fame. While the story of Ayres is incredible, the fact that he was forced to play in an NHL game shows a glaring issue in the league.
David Ayres made history last week after coming in as the emergency backup goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes, making eight saves and defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Although it was a moment in history that will never be forgotten, there is a massive problem with the league rules that were exposed during the game.

Both Hurricane goalies, James Reimer and Petr Mrazek, had to be replaced in net after suffering injuries that resulted in called penalties against the Maple Leafs. Reimer was hurt after Zach Hyman was called for cross-checking Jaccob Slavin, who then crashed into his own goalie. Mrazek was concussed after a collision outside of the goal crease with Kyle Clifford, leading to Ayres' entry into the game.

This is not an argument for or against the called penalties on the ice. The problem stands that the Hurricanes had to play with an emergency backup goalie after having both of their goaltenders injured in plays that resulted in called penalties. No matter how debatable the calls are, the game should have been suspended and continued later in the season.

The game displayed the hypothetical possibility of a team taking two minor penalties in an attempt to injure both of the opposing team's goalies. This is not an accusation of Toronto doing that, not in the slightest, this is a purely hypothetical situation that could occur in the future. 

Once again, this is not an argument on the refereeing, or on the intent of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is just to point out the fact that if a team loses both of their goalies due to injuries that lead to penalties, that team should not be forced to play a 42-year-old Zamboni driver as their replacement.

It does not matter what teams are playing. If it happens, the game needs to be stopped and continued on another day later in the season.

This solution is more than practical because this has never happened before, and probably will not occur again soon. For the future, NHL needs to make this change in their rules before it happens again. The annual General Manager Meeting has added the discussion of emergency backup goalies to their agenda, as a possible change could be made before next season.