Emergency Goalie David Ayres Named Honorary North Carolinian After Epic Win

David Ayres, the emergency goalie who stepped in for the Carolina Hurricanes in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been named an honorary North Carolinian.

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, North Carolina governor Roy Cooper bestowed the honor on Ayres in an official proclamation Tuesday:

"The Carolina Hurricanes are currently in a battle for a spot in the National Hockey League playoffs, which will bring greater economic prosperity and further our state's reputation of excellence in sports. ... David Ayres gave North Carolina hockey fans a memory that we will never forget. ... [He] proved to be the personification of 'That's hockey, baby!'"

Born in Ontario, Canada, Ayres is employed by the Maple Leafs as a practice goalie for their AHL affiliate. He also works as a Zamboni driver and is a kidney transplant survivor. He was the designated emergency backup and was forced into action during the third period when Petr Mrazek and James Reimer both got injured. 

Ayres, 42, had never appeared in an NHL game prior to Saturday. He stopped eight of Toronto's 10 shots in the final period and was credited with the win.