The box score doesn’t always tell the full story in professional sports, and such was the case in the regular-season finale between the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks.
Emergency backup goalie Tom Hodges, who played college hockey at SMU, stole the show in what ended up being a 4-2 Stars win.
Clad in a Stars mask and green pads with a Ducks jersey, Hodges entered the first NHL game of his career at the beginning of the third period, after John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz exited the game with injuries.
Per NHL.com, the home team is required to have an Emergency Backup Goalie (commonly known as the EBUG) available to either team, which is how Hodges came to make his surprise NHL debut.
“That’s the best group of guys ever,” Hodges said after the game. “They just came up to me and tried to calm me down. They could tell I was ready to have a panic attack. They didn’t care, win or lose, let in 10 [goals], just go out there and have fun. That made the whole experience a lot easier.”
His new — albeit, for one night — teammates gave him a warm welcome in the locker room.
Officially your ⭐️⭐️⭐️ of the night, Tom Hodges! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/GdnbhaCXxV
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 30, 2022
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— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 30, 2022