It’s the moment any hockey player dreams of from a young age. Setting foot, if even for a minute, on an NHL ice rink during an NHL game, and suiting up alongside the best hockey players in the world. For most rec-league or beer-league players, it’s too far-fetched to even contemplate. For those that play goalie, such as former NC State club hockey netminder Calvin Stone, it’s a little more realistic.
Stone is part of the NHL’s league-mandated emergency goalie program. Due to situations that have come up in the past few years, the NHL requires every NHL team to have a player in the building that is ready to suit up for either team in the event both its goalies get hurt. That allows teams to avoid putting in a position player that has never played goal before and risk injury.
Stone and fellow former NC State goalie Spencer Williams split the duties for the Carolina Hurricanes this past year, sharing a set of free full season tickets in the lower bowl. For Stone, a year removed from his Ice Pack days and still playing in a Sunday night league, it’s a chance to maintain a link to his childhood dream.
“I think that’s the cool part,” Stone said. “I’ve grown up always having the dream of wanting to play in the NHL and I guess this is the closest I’m ever going to get to it. I think this is a great spot to be in right now. But I just love hockey, so I get to play all the time. I have the chance of actually playing in the NHL, so I’ll take it.”
When Stone arrives to the games, he enters through an employee entrance and places his equipment in a small, individual locker room. In the event that either team’s goalie gets injured and has to leave the game, Stone would go down to the locker room, suit up and put on a team jersey that would quickly be provided for him.
He would not, however, go to that team’s bench; if the other team had both goalies get injured, he could end up having to switch. In 2016, Canes equipment manager Jorge Alves fulfilled his dream of entering an NHL game for seven seconds. However, the NHL now mandates the emergency goalie must be a neutral party, and not a team employee, because they could have to play for either team.
It can’t be just anyone, either. It has to be someone who has the ability to play, in a pinch, against the best the game of hockey has to offer. For Hurricanes manager of youth and amateur hockey Shane Willis, a Hurricanes alum who is in charge of the emergency goalie program for Carolina, Stone checked all the boxes.
“Just in speaking with guys around the city that I know who play locally, they felt that these two guys were in the top three or four in this city in terms of ability,” Willis said. That’s number one what we’re looking for, we can’t just bring in someone because he’s a fan. We’ve got to make sure the player we have in the game has the ability to fill in if needed. Also finding someone who has the availability. It was nice to have two guys so someone doesn’t just have to come and sit.”
Part of what gave Stone that ability the Canes were seeking were his days tending goal for NC State. Stone looks back fondly on playing the game he loves at a high level for his college.
“It was great,” Stone said. “I love playing any sort of competitive hockey. That definitely was some fun, competitive hockey. I got to know a lot of people. I’m still roommates with a guy that I played with last year. … I had a great time. Hockey, it’s a lot of fun.”
Of course, it’s easy for these emergency goalies to think. “Well, I’m here, but it’ll never happen; I’ll never get in an NHL game.” However, on March 29, in a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets, Stone and his counterparts got a wake-up call to remind them of the real possibility of entering a big-league game.
Chicago lost both its goalies, one in warmups, and one in the third period to injury. Enter Scott Foster, a 36-year-old amateur league goalie and accountant who came into the game for Chicago and made seven saves on seven shots in 14 minutes to fulfill a lifelong dream.
“I thought, definitely, ‘That’s my position,’” Stone said. “So the chance of it happening to me is very real. I really just thought, honestly I’m kind of jealous, that’s awesome. I would be very nervous; he did a great job though, doing what he did. He stopped every shot. That’s such a great opportunity and good for him.”
So, what does Stone think of the possibility? A dream fulfilled or a nerve-wracking situation? For him, it’s a little bit of both.
“I think it would be really cool to at least sit on the bench,” Stone said. “Maybe even go into the game. I would love to take a shot in a real NHL game. Obviously I don’t wish anything to happen to the goalies that are there. They’re there for a reason; they do a great job. I think just given the opportunity, just to try it would be an amazing opportunity. I’d be very nervous about it if it were to happen, but still.”
