The Stew: February 28, 2020

1) House goalies (AKA, Emergency Backup Goalies or EBUGs) have been around in the National Hockey League for decades, although not in a codified or systematic way where every building has one available for both teams. It is very rare for a team to lose two goaltenders in the same game, and it's something that rarely gets discussed until one is suddenly needed to play.

I am thrilled for David Ayers becoming the first EBUG to win a game in which he was pressed into service. The zamboni driver/ substitute practice goalie and former Allan Cup Hockey netminder, a kidney transplant recipient that saved his live, will always have that magical night where the Toronto-based EBUG made eight straight saves after being beaten on the first two, and earned a win for the Carolina Hurricanes (who went all out to protect him) over the hometown Maple Leafs.

I think it's great that Ayers has gotten to bask in publicity and media attention from a story that shows one of the quirky, yet charming aspects that makes hockey unique. I do find it interesting, however, that the National Hockey League suddenly believes that EBUGs need to be addressed as a "safety" issue; not after one got injured -- or there was an injury scare -- because he didn't know what he was doing in net, but after one of the league's most influential franchises got embarrassed by an EBUG being the winning goalie of record against them in a nationally televised game.

As far as the safety side goes, as long as an EBUG is a trained goaltender who has played at some reasonable amateur or collegiate level, is a retired former pro, or qualified practice goaltender, it is actually MUCH safer to have such an emergency player in net on a single partial game basis then it would be to ask a position player to don the goalie gear.

Secondly, the "house goalie" system, where there's the same EBUG for both teams, keeps things fair in the event one is actually needed to get into a game. It's rare that one even gets to sit on the bench all game, ala Eric Semborski for Chicago. Having the same EBUG for both teams on a game night keeps things fair for both sides.

Additionally, if an EBUG has to suit up in the event a starter goes down, he can wait on standbye in full uniform but cannot sit on the bench (since he's not on the game roster) nor appear in the game unless the official backup also gets injured. That is why Semborski, then in Philadelphia's uniform, was not permitted to enter a game against New Jersey in the final minute. The starter, Michal Neuvirth, got injured but backup Anthony Stolarz did not.

Even so, it was a nice moment for Philadelphia native Semborkski that he got to step onto the ice, take a little circle around and get cheered by the home crowd and then exit the ice before Stolarz finished the game. At least he got to dress officially for one NHL game, even if he doesn't go into the record books as havin appeared in a game.

For the record, the only way that an EBUG can actually get into a game in which he was not initially dressed as the backup, is if both goalies on a team's game roster are incapacited in the course of a game. It's very, very rare.

In typical NHL fashion, they couldn't get out of their own way with the Ayers story. It was just like the league tried to block John Scott's All-Star Game appearance in 2016 -- which ultimately became one of the most heartwarming reminders that ANY pro hockey player actually can play the game with some skill regardless of his designated role of team or his modest point totals. A dreadfully boring game where the on-ice "fun" is contrived because no one cares about winning, became memorable and actually spontaneous as Scott scored two goals and won the MVP Award.

By the way, there is a position player equivalent of the EBUG appearing in a game. If an NHL team is legitimately unable to dress a full roster because of NHL roster injuries as well as not being able to recall an NHL-contracted player from their farm team for the same reason, they can use an ATO player to fill out the roster. A semi-recent examples would be former Colgate defenseman David Sloane playing in one game for Philadelphia in 2008 for injury and salary cap reasons.

2) The Ayers story reminded me of many practice goalies/EBUGs that I have known through the years; each one a great guy with an interesting back story. Names like Dave Hainsworth in New Haven, Dave "Sudsy" Settlemyre with the Philadelphia Firebirds, and Ed Arrington with the Bruins come to mind and bring back good memories.

Then there was the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story of Boston native former collegiate goalie John Aiken playing 33 minutes for the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden in 1958. He did not win the game -- Ayers is the first and only EBUG to earn an NHL win -- but it was a Walter Mitty fantasy come true.

3) There's an EBUG story from the 1938 Stanley Cup Finals that involves my grandfather, Bill Stewart Sr. when he was the coach of the Black Hawks. It's not quite identical to the previous stories, because it involved a still-active pro goalie, but it's still one from the "Believe It or Not" files.

Entering the 1938 Stanley Cup Finals, the Black Hawks were massive underdogs to the Maple Leafs. No one but the Chicago team itself thought they stood a chance against the powerhouse Toronto team. The already slim odds for the Black Hawks (spelled out as two words in those days rather than as "Blackhawks") got even slimmer when starting goalie Mike Karakas got injured and second-string option Paul Goodman was also unavailable.

My grandfather requested of League president Frank Calder that the Black Hawks be able to use another NHL goaltender on loan; permissable in those days under emergency conditions as long as both teams were agreed. Maple Leafs head honcho Conn Smythe refused to agree, which provoked a physical confrontation at the hotel between my grandfather and Smythe.

Scrambling for a goalie, several Black Hawks players suggested Alfie Moore; the former New York Americans backup to Hall of Famer Roy Worters and a still-active journeyman goalie in the minor leagues. Moore was a talented goalie and a legitimate pro but had an out-of-control drinking problem. My grandfather was against the idea of using Moore, but was convinced by his players' pledge to help sober him up for the game and essentially babysit him to make sure he wasn't able to sneak off.

Lo and behold, Moore won Game 1 for Chicago. The Maple Leafs protested the game, and Calder disqualified Moore from the rest of the series, but the outcome was allowed to stand. The Black Hawks, who had Goodman in net in Games 2 and 3 before Karakas returned, went on to win the Stanley Cup in what still stands as one of the biggest upsets in NHL history. In gratitude, my grandfather bought Moore a gold watch and the team owner gave Moore the sum of $300 in cash.

Moore also got his name on the Stanley Cup, at least for 19 years. When the Cup rings were redone in 1957, the NHL had his name removed. So, too, were two other part-time Chicago players from that season whom my grandfather had made sure were included, along with the team trainer, Ed Froehlich. Two additional players were accidentally omitted on the initial engraving. Oddly enough, their names (Bert Connelly and Hal Jackson) were never added during the 1957 revision, even though both met the criteria for automatic inclusion.

There was, by the way, enough room on the Cup for the four removed names and the two accidentally omitted ones. Connelly and Jackson's omission was a double oversight, Moore's deletion was an action of retroactive historical vindictiveness and the retro deletions of players Virgil Johson and Paul Goodman was a way to justify Moore's deletion based on games played standards (which are not uncommonly waived, upon petition for inclusion). I'm not sure why trainer Froehlich was deleted, because many teams have had their trainers included.

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A 2018 inductee into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.

Visit Paul's official websites, YaWannaGo.com and Officiating by Stewart.

Follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulStewart22