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Odd Man In: Hockey's Emergency Goalies and the Wildest One-Day Job in Sports
An entertaining look at one of hockey's most unique the emergency backup goaltender
Tom Fenton was in a barber's chair when he got the call. Nathan Schoenfeld was giving his 5-week-old twin boys a bath. Eric Semborski was teaching kids to play hockey at a suburban rink.
Within hours, each was wearing a mask, pads, and an NHL uniform as an emergency goalie, perhaps the most unusual position in all of sports.
Odd Man In shares the stories of these unlikely masked heroes, tracing the origins of this quirk of the game while profiling those who have experienced the chaotic thrill of suiting up on short notice for an NHL team.
David Ayres, a Zamboni driver, became an overnight sensation with the Carolina Hurricanes after beating his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Accountant Scott Foster signed on the dotted line then played an unforgettable 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks, finishing his one-day career with a perfect 1.000 save percentage.
Their stories and more are celebrated in this fascinating volume for all hockey fans.
Tom Fenton was in a barber's chair when he got the call. Nathan Schoenfeld was giving his 5-week-old twin boys a bath. Eric Semborski was teaching kids to play hockey at a suburban rink.
Within hours, each was wearing a mask, pads, and an NHL uniform as an emergency goalie, perhaps the most unusual position in all of sports.
Odd Man In shares the stories of these unlikely masked heroes, tracing the origins of this quirk of the game while profiling those who have experienced the chaotic thrill of suiting up on short notice for an NHL team.
David Ayres, a Zamboni driver, became an overnight sensation with the Carolina Hurricanes after beating his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Accountant Scott Foster signed on the dotted line then played an unforgettable 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks, finishing his one-day career with a perfect 1.000 save percentage.
Their stories and more are celebrated in this fascinating volume for all hockey fans.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2022
10 people are currently reading
1585 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 22, 2022
What do Jorge Alves, Scott Foster and David Ayres all have in common?
They're all e-bugs who've made it to the show.
Growing up I used to go to ECHL games all the time and I was always fascinated with the goaltenders. I thought it was so cool that their role was so different from the other men on the ice and how cool do those pads, blocker and helmet look?
As I grew older, I ended up working for two ECHL teams and this gave me the opportunity to try to play hockey myself in a learn to skate league. Of course, I chose to try out goaltending and if you know me im tiny so I was decked out in all youth hockey gear.
Seeing this book dedicated to the role of e-bugs in the National Hockey League, I was immediately intrigued and had to read all about the goalies who got their chance.
This is such a cool non-fiction about hockey! I never knew how the role of "e-bug" has changed so dramatically since 1965 and how unique these men are to the game. I learned so much not just about goaltending but about the history of the NHL.
I really loved reading about David Ayres journey leading to his twenty eight minutes in the show.
E-bugs are so special. They gave hardworking minor league and beer league goaltenders the chance to experience what it's like to be in the NHL. Scott Foster, David Ayres & Jorge Alves all got their chance and they won't be the last.
If you're a hockey or a sports fan, you have to read this book. It sheds light on such a unique corner of hockey that no one truly knows exists until the time comes where an accountant, zambonie driver or equipment manager have to race down from the stands to suit up.
Thank you Triumph Books for sending me a gifted copy of Odd In! Get your copy today from https://www.triumphbooks.com/ or by visiting your local book store.
They're all e-bugs who've made it to the show.
Growing up I used to go to ECHL games all the time and I was always fascinated with the goaltenders. I thought it was so cool that their role was so different from the other men on the ice and how cool do those pads, blocker and helmet look?
As I grew older, I ended up working for two ECHL teams and this gave me the opportunity to try to play hockey myself in a learn to skate league. Of course, I chose to try out goaltending and if you know me im tiny so I was decked out in all youth hockey gear.
Seeing this book dedicated to the role of e-bugs in the National Hockey League, I was immediately intrigued and had to read all about the goalies who got their chance.
This is such a cool non-fiction about hockey! I never knew how the role of "e-bug" has changed so dramatically since 1965 and how unique these men are to the game. I learned so much not just about goaltending but about the history of the NHL.
I really loved reading about David Ayres journey leading to his twenty eight minutes in the show.
E-bugs are so special. They gave hardworking minor league and beer league goaltenders the chance to experience what it's like to be in the NHL. Scott Foster, David Ayres & Jorge Alves all got their chance and they won't be the last.
If you're a hockey or a sports fan, you have to read this book. It sheds light on such a unique corner of hockey that no one truly knows exists until the time comes where an accountant, zambonie driver or equipment manager have to race down from the stands to suit up.
Thank you Triumph Books for sending me a gifted copy of Odd In! Get your copy today from https://www.triumphbooks.com/ or by visiting your local book store.
August 24, 2023
Interesting tidbits but not enough for a full book. Feels like an article from The Atlantic stretched to 240 pages.
December 24, 2022
Loved this book! I even wore my Blackhawks hoodie while reading a few chapters (I know, what a nerd).
Even as an occasional “hopping on the bandwagon” and not serious hockey fan, I found this book’s stories and background on EBUGs really very interesting…exciting at that!
Huge thank you to Triumph Books for this book, as I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Of course the hockey fan on your life will love this book. If you’re a person who loves learning new, interesting things, I think you’ll love this book too.
Thanks for reading!
Even as an occasional “hopping on the bandwagon” and not serious hockey fan, I found this book’s stories and background on EBUGs really very interesting…exciting at that!
Huge thank you to Triumph Books for this book, as I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Of course the hockey fan on your life will love this book. If you’re a person who loves learning new, interesting things, I think you’ll love this book too.
Thanks for reading!
October 21, 2023
goalies <3
August 15, 2023
I think Hockey’s EBUG rule is one of the coolest, yet weirdest, rules and was so excited when I saw a book was written about it.
This is a great history of how the modern EBUG system developed through the 3 EBUG’s (as of book release) who went into a professional hockey game while holding a day job.
However, my biggest dislike of the book is that I lost whatever narrative thread the book has and that made me lose focus while reading the book. So it took me longer than it should have to read about this fascinating NHL rule that places an amateur into the most important position on the ice
This is a great history of how the modern EBUG system developed through the 3 EBUG’s (as of book release) who went into a professional hockey game while holding a day job.
However, my biggest dislike of the book is that I lost whatever narrative thread the book has and that made me lose focus while reading the book. So it took me longer than it should have to read about this fascinating NHL rule that places an amateur into the most important position on the ice
June 12, 2023
A wonderful read, and a relatively easy one too! The EBUG position has always fascinated me, so I knew I needed to read this book the second I saw it! Thankfully, my girlfriend bought me this book for Christmas. I loved it! I was only familiar with the story of David Ayres, so reading about the other close calls/short EBUG appearances was wonderful. If anything, I would’ve reorganized the book to have the close calls first, and then the full on appearances. But otherwise, I have no complaints! I highly recommend this book to hockey fans!!
June 28, 2023
It looks at the emergency backup goalies in the NHL, and how they came into being, along with stories of all cases where it happened. Whyno gets into detail with each player, and was able to speak to them all, which really adds a nice dimension to it. He also looks at what may come in the future for this. Overall a really strong, well-written, and informative book.
January 8, 2023
Fun, informative, and interesting! As a hockey nerd, I was thrilled to learn more about not only the EBUGS they’ve played so far, but also the nature of the position and how it’s changed over time as the game has. Highly recommend if you’re interested.
December 3, 2022
A bit longer than a minor curiosity of hockey likely deserved.
February 26, 2023
This book was incredibly entertaining. There’s so many more EBUG’s than we knew about. It was really interesting to hear all about the EBUG’s stories and lives. It’s a must read in my opinion.
March 5, 2024
Entertaining and good information for someone who is a new fan of hockey. Some of the information is repetitive - I think the book was meant to be read gradually, not all at once.
January 26, 2026
Remarkable that this is possible in the NHL but great look at the stories of every man guys who had the opportunity of a lifetime.
January 1, 2023
A very good insight into what an EBUG would be doing and what he does.
February 19, 2025
Review for Odd Man In can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews