place kicker

[jrhky36 1]

http://texastech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=866497.

thought this was intresting. could we see a goalie from the crowd?

[DCott 0]

It's not unheard of. Texas Tech has take n walk ons before. And Boston College did it I think 2 years ago, Steve Aponav....... (i wont even try to spell it) was messing around on the field one day kicking field goals, and the coach saw him. He is still kicking for BC now.

[SuperMan3 1]

I can kick 40 yarders, do you think they would give me a try?

[nieminen24 0]

St. Cloud State University ran into some injury problems in the late 90s? and used a goalie for a weekend series who was a student playing open hockey.

[ID Rollerpop 4]

I know in the ECHL once in a while you will end up with the person who is basically the best local goalie being brought in as an emergency backup. A couple of years ago when that was the situation for a game between the Idaho Steelheads and the Phoenix Roadrunners there was a line brawl and the lone Idaho goalie got ejected (injured as well) and Idaho had to use an emegency back up for 1 1/2 periods and ended up losing what I believe was a 2 goal lead. There is still some bad blood over this as the Phoenix goalie skated the length of the ice to engage the Idaho goalie who was not previously involved in what started as a two person fight.

[Grinder 2]

This was quite the story in 2003 when it happened, and he looked like he was going to throw up when Hedberg got creamed in the first period. When Hedberg got back up, Crawford laughed and slapped Levesque on the back.

Levesque lives dream

Third-string UBC goalie pressed into service as Hedberg's backup

Elliott Pap

Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

From the library in the afternoon to the NHL at night, Chris Levesque must have thought he was Forrest Gump. Or maybe Ferris Bueller taking a day off.

The 23-year-old third string goalie for the UBC Thunderbirds became an instant celebrity Tuesday when he was summoned from the university campus to dress as Vancouver Canuck Johan Hedberg's back up against the Pittsburgh Penguins

Tracked down in the library by a UBC teammate at 4:30 p.m., Levesque thought he was the victim of a prank. After all, he had a geography exam at 8:30 in the morning so why wouldn't his buddies throw him a little curve?

He quickly discovered the call was for real and high-tailed it down to GM Place.

He wore No. 40 during the game and, later, he wore a rather large grin. His media scrum following the Canucks' 4-3 overtime victory rivaled that of captain Markus Naslund, who merely scored all four Vancouver goals.

"It's a little different than after a UBC game where we have just one guy from the paper," Levesque said, trying to maintain a straight face. "There are 40 people here."

The Canucks ran into a jam of almost comical proportions earlier in the day when Dan Cloutier was injured in the morning skate (announced as a groin) and none of the organizations three other goalies under contract -- Alex Auld, Tyler Moss and Rob McVicar -- could make it to Vancouver in time for the 7:08 PST faceoff.

Auld and Moss were en route to Binghamton, N.Y., from Winnipeg with the AHL's Manitoba Moose while McVicar was in Columbia, S.C., with his ECHL team the Inferno.

Once it was determined those options were closed, the scramble was on. Levesque then won the job by default as UBC's two other goalies -- one-time Canuck prospect Kevin Swanson and Slovakian native Robert Filc-- were ineligible to dress under the 'amateur emergency call-up' rules.

Swanson was out because he was a former professional. Filc was also ineligible because he is an undrafted European.

"It's pretty amazing," said Levesque, a Port Coquitlam native. "I've played the game all my life and this is what I aspire to do. Who knows what the future holds but to get a chance like this and to experience it, it's amazing.

"I had a great time. I'll definitely keep the jersey and hang it on the wall."

Levesque, who hasn't started a game for the T-Birds since September, was nearly pressed into action when Hedberg was briefly injured late in the first period.

"I was a little frightened at first," Levesque admitted. "I tried to play it cool on the bench, just kept chewing my gum and looking up at the scoreboard with a camera right in my face. But luckily Hedberg wasn't hurt seriously and he shook it off."

The moment was not lost on veteran Mike Keane, who shouted down the bench to Levesque: "Don't worry! He'll get up."

Levesque is a third year Arts student, majoring in geography. His previous hockey stop before the Thunderbirds was with the Swan Valley Stampeders of the Manitoba Junior League. He played all his minor hockey for the Port Coquitlam Pirates

Following his extensive round of media interviews, Levesque planned to hit the books again. He figured, with the six-hour interruption to be a Canuck, he would likely have to study until at least 2 a.m.

Canuck vice president of player personnel Steve Tambellini had a few parting words for the one-night celebrity.

"Hopefully," smiled Tambellini, "he does well on his exam."

[roscoe6 1]

Great article Grinder... That'll sure be a story for the grandkids. (or the broads down at the pub) ;)

[HattrickSwayze 3]

The Canucks story sounds like something out of a movie. That would be crazy though. Sitting there studying, and the next thing you know you're being called up for an NHL game. Try callin your friends and getting em to believe that one.

[Grinder 2]

Tell me if he looks tense: