David Ayres

David Ayres (; born August 12, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is the first emergency backup goaltender to be credited with a win in the National Hockey League (NHL). At age 42, Ayres is also the oldest NHL goaltender to win his regular season debut.

Ayers played professionally for the Norwood Vipers of Allan Cup Hockey (ACH) from 2014 to 2015 before retiring. While working as a building operator for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020, Ayres was named the emergency goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Maple Leafs and helped Carolina win the game. He later served as the head coach of the Vermilion County Bobcats in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) in 2022 and the Port Perry Lumberjacks of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) from 2022 to 2023.

Early and personal life Ayres is a native of Whitby, Ontario and played youth ice hockey and attended hockey camps in the town. His late father, Bob, and his brother, Chris, were also goaltenders. He became ill and required a kidney transplant (donated by his mother, Mary) in 2004. The Marlies' equipment man learned that Ayres was a goalie and coach, so head coach Sheldon Keefe began playing him as a goaltender at practice when an extra man was needed, as did the Maple Leafs.

Hockey career Ayres played eight games with the Norwood Vipers of the Allan Cup Hockey League in 2014. As a goaltender, he allowed 58 goals, had a .777 save percentage and posted an 0–8 record. Ayres has served as a backup to both the Toronto Marlies and Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League, the primary affiliates of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively. Donning Kasimir Kaskisuo's old Toronto Marlies helmet and pads and wearing a Maple Leafs T-shirt under his equipment, he entered the game at 8:41 left in the second period with a 3–1 lead. He allowed goals on the first two shots that he faced before stopping the next eight shots on goal, along with recording one shot on goal, to help seal a 6–3 win for Carolina. He became the first emergency backup to enter a game in the NHL since Scott Foster had done so in 2018.

Ayres was named first star of the game and kept his game-worn jersey and game puck. but under the terms of his contract, he was not paid. Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho stated that teammates had pooled a small sum of money for Ayres. Ontario premier Doug Ford phoned Ayres to congratulate him.

Following the game, the Hurricanes announced that they would sell T-shirts with Ayres' name and jersey number 90, with royalties paid to Ayres and a portion of the proceeds donated to a kidney foundation.

Ayres was invited to sound the siren at the start of the Hurricanes' home game on February 25. While in North Carolina, governor Roy Cooper declared Ayres, a Canadian citizen, an honorary citizen of North Carolina, and Raleigh honoured him by naming February 25, 2020 David Ayres Day in the city.

Post-hockey career On October 5, 2021, it was announced that Ayres had joined the CBD company CaniBrands as a brand ambassador.

On October 26, 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes announced that James Corden's Fulwell 73 production company would create a film based on Ayres’ story that would become a Disney feature film. It was also expected that Ayres would play himself in several scenes, but the film was not produced when the rights to the story expired.

Ayres made his coaching debut as head coach of the SPHL’s Vermilion County Bobcats on April 7, 2022, against the Evansville Thunderbolts at the Ford Center, but was replaced by season's end.

On August 12, 2022, the Port Perry Lumberjacks announced Ayres as their head coach for the 2022–23 season. After posting a 10–28–4 record and being swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Uxbridge Bruins, he was not invited to return for the 2023–24 season.

Career statistics Regular season Regular season Season Team League 2014–15 Norwood Vipers ACH 8 0 8 0 — 260 58 0 8.88 .777 2019–20 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 1 1 0 0 28:41 10 2 0 4.18 .800 NHL totals 1 1 0 0 28:41 10 2 0 4.18 .800