NHL to Get Rid of Emergency Backups?

[Voight]

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[Filthy Dangles]

I don't understand what the problem or goal is

Of all the things to worry about or improve on in the league, this shouldn't even be being talked about

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Instead of this perhaps the NHL can focus on the true issues at hand.

 

[nhlfan9191]

I don't understand what the problem or goal is

Of all the things to worry about or improve on in the league, this shouldn't even be being talked about

I’m guessing it has to do with making the NHL look like a Mickey Mouse league when you pick up guys off the street and have them playing in NHL games. I don’t know what the alternative would be tho because you’re screwed without a goalie and it’s such a specialized position.

 

[Buck Naked]

Toronto trying their best to find ways to gain more points.

 

[hangman005]

EBUGs are always some of the coolest stories when they happen.... it's like the human interest stories of the NHL.

GMs: EBUGs humanize us, we must eliminate them.

 

[banks]

EBUG goalies have played so rarely. How can this even be a topic worth GMs talking about?

And, may I add, when an EBUG actually has played its always resulted in great stories and PR for the league. Ayres was a brief phenomenon, he was on late shows like Colbert.

What alternative is better than this? Having a skater strap on the pads? They be risking injury because they don't always make those motions. Disaster.

 

[Summer Rose]

If I'm recalling correctly, emergency backup goalies are required to have never played professionally, so the only way I can see them improving upon the current rules is getting rid of that requirement.

 

[ijuka]

Haven't EBUGs made for some great stories and exposure for the league? Why eliminate them?

 

[Jacob]

Just allow (or require) teams to carry 3 goalies? And the third can sort of count as a "practice squad" type player like during COVID, like he doesn't count against the cap and he's technically assigned to the AHL.

 

[tucker3434]

It is a bit funny that EBUG is still a thing in 2024. But I also don’t see it as something that needs correcting. Teams shouldn’t need to carry 3 goalies around as one of them would almost never see the ice.

 

[SoupNazi]

Can we keep them and get rid of the EBUG abbreviation? That just sounds like the virus you’d get from a sketchy website.

 

[hi]

Haven't EBUGs made for some great stories and exposure for the league? Why eliminate them?

Because the league is run by incompetent braindead dinosaurs

 

[LeafalCrusader]

It's always a great story when you see a ebug come in. League has nothing better to do?

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

The David Ayres game was one of the coolest sporting moments ever, why would they take away the chance of that happening again? EBUG system really is not an issue at all, it's incredibly rare that they need to come in and to my knowledge has never happened in a playoff game so the worst case for a team is they lose a regular season game... big whoop.

 

[JMCx4]

Smells to me like a response to an NHLPA initiative. Maybe the next move will be increasing the roster limit to accommodate another goalie? Strength in numbers - both on the bench & in the union hall.

 

[The Macho King]

I'm wondering if there's some insurance issue driving this decision?

If I'm recalling correctly, emergency backup goalies are required to have never played professionally, so the only way I can see them improving upon the current rules is getting rid of that requirement.

I thought I recall Dwayne Roloson being an EBUG at some point? Didn't play but I thought I recall that - but could be

 

[ponder719]

If I'm recalling correctly, emergency backup goalies are required to have never played professionally, so the only way I can see them improving upon the current rules is getting rid of that requirement.

My recollection is that they only have to not have another current contractual obligation; I remember Arturs Irbe dressing as an EBUG at one point while he was a goalie coach in Buffalo, though they might have adjusted the rules since that happened.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I’m guessing it has to do with making the NHL look like a Mickey Mouse league when you pick up guys off the street and have them playing in NHL games. I don’t know what the alternative would be tho because you’re screwed without a goalie and it’s such a specialized position.

It’s probably this, which would be very NHL of them. No one gives a shit about professionalism, they want stories and fun. David Ayers hit different parts of mainstream news that MacDavid doesn’t get coverage on, and it was all positivity.

The reffing, the goonery, the nonsense rules, that’s the unprofessionalism that turns people off because it’s not f***ing fun. Fix that stuff first.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

I’m guessing it has to do with making the NHL look like a Mickey Mouse league when you pick up guys off the street and have them playing in NHL games. I don’t know what the alternative would be tho because you’re screwed without a goalie and it’s such a specialized position.

It's really no worse than Position Players having to pitch in MLB, non-kickers having to kick in NFL etc.

It just seems so far down the list of things to worry about

 

[NVious]

Good, EBUGs were ruining the game, Hockey needs more spreads and odds not EBUGs

 

[miscs75]

Can we keep them and get rid of the EBUG abbreviation? That just sounds like the virus you’d get from a sketchy website.

So basically like this site with all the adds we suffer through.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

The solution is to require all teams have a 3rd stringer at all times that doesn't take up a roster slot or cap space and they can suit up and replace an injured goalie tandem any game. Good position for older vets who want to stick around the league.

 

[McShogun99]

It's not like the EBUGS are random guys pulled off the couch and never strapped on the pads before. These guys have all played their entire lives at a high level. My friend was an EBUG for a few years and got to randomly practice with the team.

 

[A1LeafNation]

21-man roster with 18 skaters and 3 goalies as the standard.