Zamboni driver, part-time goalie Dave Ayres leads Carolina to victory over Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs centre John Tavares, not shown, scores his team's second goal of the game against Hurricanes emergency goalie David Ayres during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Mrazek left the game. Ayres, who serves as the Toronto Marlies’ zamboni driver, replaced Petr Mrazek in net after a delay in action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

By The Canadian Press and News Staff

Posted February 22, 2020 10:16 pm.

Last Updated February 23, 2020 10:40 am.

Emergency backup goalie David Ayres earned his first career NHL win in relief as Carolina picked up an improbable 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday after the Hurricanes lost both netminders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek to injury.

Warren Foegele scored twice, Martin Necas, with a goal and an assist, Lucas Wallmark, Nino Niederreiter and Sebastian Aho also scored for Carolina.

Alexander Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall, and John Tavares replied for Toronto while Frederik Andersen made 43 saves.

Reimer started for the Hurricanes against his former team but left with a lower-body injury in the first period after being bowled over in his crease. He was replaced by Mrazek who made 14 saves in relief of Reimer before he was hurt in the second period following a thunderous collision with Leafs winger Kyle Clifford as both players raced for the puck along the sideboards.

That forced Ayres – a 42-year-old ex-junior goalie and a Zamboni driver for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies available to both teams – into action for the rest of the game between two clubs battling for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

After a bizarre second period that saw Carolina score four times, give up two goals, lose Mrazek, and have Ayres pressed into action, the Hurricanes made it 5-3 just 53 seconds into the third after jumping on a turnover and beating Andersen in tight.

Necas then made it 6-3 at 3:44 when he picked up a loose puck to finish off a chaotic sequence as boos rained down.

The jeers continued on a Leafs power play later in the period and got louder as the period wore on, with some fans chanting “Let’s Go Raptors!” as the final minutes ticked down on an embarrassing performance from the home side.

Three hours ago, David Ayres was sitting in the press box.

Now he’s got his first @NHL win. What a moment! pic.twitter.com/VOTTWnHjIl

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 23, 2020

Ayres (42 years, 194 days) became the oldest goaltender in NHL history to win his regular-season debut. The previous mark was held by Hugh Lehman (41 years 21 days with Chicago).