‘Time of my life’: Zamboni driver David Ayres describes playing as backup goalie for Hurricanes

Zamboni driver David Ayres hit the ice as an emergency goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night in their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He left with his first NHL win, after having what he described in a post-game interview as “the time of my life out there.”

“Actually I got a bunch of text messages that said get in there,” Ayres, 42, told Sportsnet in an interview after the game.

“Someone came into the room and said ‘Hey you better get dressed, you’re going out there.’ So I was a little shocked but loving it.”

An ex-junior goalie and a Zamboni driver for the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies, Ayres was available to both teams as a backup goalie.

But he wound up subbing in for the Hurricanes after the team lost two goalies — James Reimer and Petr Mrazek — to injury.

The Canes wound up winning 6-3 over the Leafs.

Ayres told Sportsnet that the second period felt “a little shaky” to him.

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