When the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team came to Philadelphia to face off against the Flyers on Saturday, a crisis hit: Corey Crawford, the backup goalie for regular goalie Scott Darling, needed to get his appendix removed.
No problem, send up a goalie from the minor-league team, right? Nope. Rockford, the American Hockey League team affiliated with the Blackhawks, had a game in Grand Rapids, Michigan that night and a replacement backup goaltender couldn't make it in time for the 1 p.m. start.
'Hey, Semborski! Suit up and get in there!'
To make matters worse, the Blackhawks had to find a goalie with no past NHL experience, because of the hockey league's strict salary cap rules.
So the team turned to Eric Semborski, who just hours before game time was working at Flyers Skate Zone in New Jersey, according to NHL.com.
I asked, 'Why are you asking me this?' Then he said, 'Oh, Chicago needs a goalie.' And I just lost it.
His highest level of hockey experience? Temple University's hockey club and coaching youth hockey.
Somehow that got him on a list of recommended goalies from the Flyers.
The Blackhawks have signed Eric Semborski to an ATO to serve in an emergency backup goaltender role today in Philly.
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 3, 2016
Here's the Blackhawks' initial announcement.
WATCH | You can see Semborski practice with the Blackhawks here. He said he was a "bit rusty" but managed to make a save against Patrick Kane, last year's NHL scoring leader and generally considered one of the best players in the league.
So... did he play?
Nope. The Blackhawks didn't end up putting Semborski into the game after all.
Coach Joel Quenneville pulled Darling in the third period as time ran out and said he would have let Semborski play if the Blackhawks managed to score. Sadly, they didn't, and the Flyers won 3-1.
The #Blackhawks broke Eric Semborski's heart in 2010. "That's all forgotten. I'm a Hawks fan today." His story: https://t.co/RKVcbXY2NT pic.twitter.com/kO8sJstASY
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) December 3, 2016
Semborski forgave the Blackhawks for beating his Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup.
Eric Semborski went from an @NHLFlyers hockey camp to the @NHLBlackhawks locker room, real quick. https://t.co/wG0amuEhXj
— NHL (@NHL) December 4, 2016
That's about how we would look if we got to play, too.
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