Losing to Their Own Zamboni Driver Cements Maple Leafs as Funniest Franchise in Professional Sports
By Jackson Thompson
In sports, the term miracle is very tightly used, bestowed only upon the truly extraordinary moments, worthy of a movie adaptation. On Saturday, the sports world got a miracle worthy of a Will Ferrell movie adaptation.
42-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs Zamboni driver David Ayres was forced into a game against the Carolina Hurricanes as an emergency goal keeper... but for the Hurricanes. Carolina went on to defeat Toronto 6-3, giving Ayres a win in-goal against the very team that employs him.
The Leafs followed up a 4-0 win against the Penguins with a loss to a 42-year-old zamboni driver who works for them.
— Steve "Dangle" Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) February 23, 2020
In the Maple Leafs 103-year history, a history that has seen 13 Stanley Cup wins, Saturday's Cinderella story turned betrayal by Ayres will leave a lasting stain that brings laughter to those who hear about it, possibly for another 103 years.
"It was awesome, I had the time of my life out there," Ayres told the Sportsnet broadcast after the game. After he was named the No. 1 star, the crowd in Toronto gave him a loud ovation.
Maple Leafs fans were dealt an ironic moral dilemma on Saturday. They could not help but feel a serendipitous joy for their faculty worker, but at the expense of their own team's success. It's a dilemma that was all but epitomized by Ayres' wardrobe during the game: a Maple Leafs t-shirt covered by a Hurricanes game jersey?
Dave Ayres was wearing a Leafs T-shirt under his Hurricanes uniform.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) February 23, 2020
It's a story that is hard to think is even possible in the hyper-controlled dynamics of professional sports, and would probably fall to impossible in any league other than the NHL.