'Pretty surreal': Maple Leafs forced to dress U of T goalie as backup against Sens
Alex Bishop lived out his dream.
The Maple Leafs exhaled knowing the University of Toronto goalie didn't have to move from the end of the bench.
Bishop dressed as the backup to starter Jack Campbell for Saturday night's 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators with fellow Toronto netminder Petr Mrazek sidelined by a groin injury and the team facing an early-season salary cap squeeze.
"That was pretty surreal," Bishop said of stepping on the ice for warmups at Scotiabank Arena. "You never really look at the flash of the cameras until you get out there.
"It was really cool."
The bizarre situation the Leafs found themselves in was compounded by defenceman Justin Holl's absence due to illness. Toronto could have demoted a player to the American Hockey League and recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson -- the club's third option last season -- as the No. 2 behind Campbell if Holl was healthy.
The organization could have also sent someone down, brought up Hutchinson, and played with 17 skaters. But it wound up deciding the best route was to sign Bishop to a one-day amateur tryout and hope Campbell got through the evening unscathed.
"There's a lot of things that, to be honest, aren't my department," Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said in attempting to explain the rationale following Saturday's morning skate. "But really it just comes down to the fact that the flat (salary) cap has created some situations here that are a lot more difficult to manage even than they were a year ago when they had the taxi squad and a third goalie.
"We're going through that here now."
Keefe said Holl had cold symptoms, adding his PCR tests for COVID-19 had yet to come back as of Saturday morning. However even if they were negative, he wasn't going to be well enough to suit up against the Senators.
The good news for the Leafs is Mrazek is only expected to be out two weeks with the injury he suffered in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Senators in the nation's capital.
Keefe said Toronto will now be able to recall Hutchinson, who's expected to be at practice Sunday.
"That's the situation," Keefe said of having to use Bishop. "A lot of teams have already gone through it last season and I suspect a lot more will this season with the rules going back to normal and not necessarily having the COVID exemptions.
"That's where we're at."
The Leafs, of course, have recent experience with strange goaltending moments. They were the opponent when two Carolina goalies, including Mrazek, were injured on a Saturday night in Toronto on Feb. 22, 2020, forcing emergency backup David Ayres into action.
The then-42-year-old Zamboni driver allowed goals on the Leafs' first two shots that memorable night, but stopped the next eight in a stunning 6-3 Hurricanes' victory that catapulted Ayres into the public eye.
"It's not lost on me that this is a pretty rare opportunity," said Bishop, a 24-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., with three seasons of Quebec Major Junior Hockey League experience. "Not a lot of people, if any, get to do things like this.
"I'm pretty lucky."
The commerce major, who has two midterm exams next week, said he usually tries to have a pre-game nap.
That wasn't happening following Saturday's morning skate.
"I went home and knew there wasn't a chance," he told a dozen reporters in the Leafs' media room. "I studied a little bit, I did some work for my midterm on Tuesday.
"Then took a shower and got ready and headed back over here."
The six-foot-four, 205-pound Bishop has spent two seasons playing for U of T, but his last live action came before the COVID-19 pandemic on Feb. 16, 2020. The Varsity Blues start their 2021-22 regular season next month.
Bishop had his parents in the crowd -- dad is a big Leafs fan -- and got inundated with texts Saturday afternoon before having to silence his phone.
"I'm still kind of soaking it in," he said when asked what he'll remember about the experience. "But I think just the reaction from all my friends and family and people that I probably haven't spoken to in five or six years just messaging me. That's what made me turn off my phone, but it wasn't a shot at them.
"Just the support system I have, and my friends and family, it's great to see."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.