Accountant pressed into service as emergency Blackhawks goalie, stops every shot he faces
The Associated Press
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CHICAGO — Scott Foster thought it was going to be just another night. Then the 36-year-old accountant signed a contract, put on his goaltender gear and waited in Chicago’s locker room. Then he got into the game.
Then, it was his night.
Foster was pressed into action when Chicago lost Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia to injuries, and the former college goalie stopped all seven shots he faced over the final 14 minutes of the Blackhawks’ 6-2 victory over the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
“This is something that no one can ever take away from me,” Foster said. “It’s something that I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends. … Just a ton of fun.”
Foster is part of a crew of recreational goaltenders who staff Chicago’s home games in case of emergencies for either team.
But it usually just means a nice dinner and a night in the press box watching the world’s best players compete at hockey’s highest level.
Nothing at all like this.
“What a moment,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said with a chuckle.
Forsberg was expected to start, but he got hurt during a “pregame ritual,” according to Quenneville.
Delia, who was just recalled from the minors Wednesday, then stopped 25 of 27 shots in his NHL debut before he was helped off the ice with 14:01 left after he cramped up.
Enter Foster, a married father of two who lives in nearby Oak Park and plays in two recreation leagues.
After a short warmup, the game resumed and Foster got a big cheer from the crowd of 21,839 when he denied Tyler Myers for his first save about a minute after he came in.
“The initial shock happened when I had to dress. I think you just kind of black out after that,” Foster said.
Backed by chants of “Foster! Foster!” and more loud ovations, he made another stop on Myers and turned away Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien in the final minutes.
When it was over, the Blackhawks poured onto the ice and mobbed Foster in the net.
“He was great,” defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “I think the boys were doing whatever they could to help him out. He made some big saves. Fun night.”
The Jets had won six in a row and were trying to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. But even they were moved by what happened.
“It’s tough for anybody to come in 50 minutes into a hockey game, let alone a guy who hasn’t played in the (NHL),” coach Paul Maurice said. “A great moment for him.”
Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves became the first emergency goalie to play in a game in the modern era last season.
He closed out the final 7.6 seconds of a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
The NHL adjusted its rules last summer to mandate that teams have an emergency goalie present for all home games ready to fill in for either team — setting the stage for Foster’s most competitive action since 20 minutes in relief with Western Michigan University in the 2005-06 season.
“A few hours ago I was sitting on the computer typing on a 10-key, and now I’m standing in front of you guys having just finished 14 1/2 minutes of NHL hockey,” he cracked.
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Some Dude Just Played NHL Hockey For Free
By Jesse Spector - Dealbreaker
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The worst Chicago hockey season in a decade had a real feel-good moment last week when 36-year-old accountant Scott Foster became an NHL legend and tied a record that can never be broken.
Foster is now the proud owner of a 1.000 save percentage, the result of 14 perfect minutes against the Winnipeg Jets at the end of a 6-2 Chicago victory. The NHL requires teams to have an emergency goaltender on hand for all games, ready to suit up for either team, and Foster was pressed into action on Thursday night when Chicago’s Anton Forsberg was hurt before the game and Collin Delia cramped up in the third period.
It happens a few times a year that an emergency backup has to dress because one goalie gets sick or hurt early in the day and a minor league callup is unavailable. In February, it was revealed that the New York Rangers give their standby goalie a “McBACKUP 69” jersey, which is particularly funny when you consider the Rangers’ own history of emergency goaltending – in 1928, coach Lester Patrick came off the bench in a Stanley Cup Final game, and won it, on the way to the Blueshirts winning the championship.
What is not funny in this situation is that Foster, the No. 1 star of Thursday night’s game, and really the star of the sports world for a day, gets nothing for his work.
As Mark Lazerus wrote in a fantastic game story for the Chicago Sun-Times: “His payment? No money, but a lifetime of bragging rights at Johnny’s IceHouse and a heck of a story to tell his two young kids in Oak Park.”
It’s okay that Foster would not be paid for his appearance in the game. Every time he is designated as the emergency goalie, he gets to watch an NHL game for free, usually from the press box, and enjoy some free food – and in Chicago, they happen to have some of the best press box food in the league. And, it’s part of a deal that Foster agreed to, as does everyone else in his position.
Where it becomes decidedly uncool is with what happens after the emergency backup goalie steps onto the ice and becomes a folk hero, complete with a hashtag like #FosterOfThePeople, because of course there was a hashtag.
The next morning, the NHL was out there cashing in on Foster’s performance with the hashtag and an invitation to buy Scott Foster jerseys and t-shirts on the official league shop. What must be noted is that the ad is an enticement to “customize your Scott Foster gear today,” with the link going to a page where Chicago merchandise could be made with any name and number. Yes, “McBACKUP 69” would have worked, but the images were of “FOSTER 90” shirts, only, of course, with zero compensation going to Scott Foster, because fans buying those shirts could be referring to any old Foster, and maybe everyone’s favorite number is 90. You don’t know.
It would be so easy to make this right. Put Foster’s jersey in the actual team shop, let people buy it, and give the guy a cut like he’s a real NHL player – because for one night, that’s exactly what he was.
That’s not going to happen, but at least Foster now has a chance to serve as the emergency backup catcher for the Frisco RoughRiders, after getting an invitation from the minor league baseball team in Texas. And we all know that minor league baseball is famous for treating its players well when it comes to compensation, right? Right? Aw, crap.
