Maple Leafs' AHL team signs Zamboni driver as backup goalie for one game

The Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs, came up with a unique solution to a goalie shortage for their game in Rochester on Friday night.

Getting the start was Jonathan Bernier, an NHL regular for the past five years recently sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint after a miserable start to the regular season for the Leafs.

And on the bench backing him up was Dave Ayres, a 38-year-old building operations manager who was yanked from his usual job on the ice crew and signed to a one-game tryout.

It was an exciting moment for Ayres whose notoriety on the ice was limited to occasionally being seen driving the Zamboni for Marlies home games as part of his job.

#MarliesLive News (contd): The #Marlies have also signed Dave Ayres to an Amateur Tryout for this evening's game. pic.twitter.com/G2citncvOf

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) December 4, 2015

The Marlies were in need of another goalie because their two regular goalies, Garrett Sparks and Antoine Bibeau, had been recently recalled to the NHL, while their ECHL goalie, Rob Madore, could not make it to Rochester from Orlando in time for the game.

Ayres didn't get a chance to play for the Marlies on Friday night and could only watch as Bernier stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 4-0 win.

And just as unceremoniously as his signing before the game, the Marlies announced that Ayres was released from his tryout right after it.

#MarliesLive News: The #Marlies have released David Ayres from his ATO.

— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) December 5, 2015

That's Canada. Throw a hat into the stands, and you got a hockey player.

Fan screams ‘Let’s Go Rangers’ during moment of silence for Paris attacks (VIDEO)

A boneheaded hockey fan ruined a moment of silence at Madison Square Garden by yelling “Let’s Go Rangers” during a solemn tribute to the victims of the Paris terror attacks Sunday night.

The clueless loudmouth had to be shouted down by other fans during the tribute before the Rangers game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The moment of silence was observed prior to the playing of the French, Canadian and U.S. National Anthems while the French flag was presented on the ice with the American and Canadian flags.

whoever screamed lets go Rangers during the moment of silence needs to be slapped silly

— casey (@CantYandleThis) November 16, 2015

Lou Lamoriello stuns NHL after quitting Devils to join the Maple Leafs as GM

Hockey Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup winner Lou Lamoriello shocked the NHL on Thursday morning by resigning as president of the New Jersey Devils and accepting a position as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lamoriello’s 28-year run as Devils president ends less than three months after he had stepped down as New Jersey’s GM, giving way to the hiring of Ray Shero. He is being hired by Toronto president Brendan Shanahan, who was drafted second overall in 1987 to play for New Jersey (1987-1991) and who returned to the Devils briefly at the end of his playing career (2008-09).

Thursday’s sudden and unique switch was made public after the Devils tweeted at 10:10 a.m. ET that Lamoriello had resigned as president:

BREAKING NEWS: Lou Lamoriello resigns as President of the #NJDevils. http://t.co/8LwWMLqgli pic.twitter.com/LhsTTcvovz

— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) July 23, 2015

And the Leafs followed with a tweet two minutes later that they were naming him the 16th GM in Toronto’s franchise history.

The #Leafs have named Lou Lamoriello the 16th General Manager in Club history #TMLtalk READ → http://t.co/gabNyzLRwI pic.twitter.com/huVOhgEYJl

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 23, 2015

The 72-year-old Lamoriello joined the Devils as president and GM in 1987 and led New Jersey to 21 playoff appearances, nine division titles, five Cup Final appearances, and three Stanley Cup championships (1995, 2000, 2003).

The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and recently have become a laughingstock, finishing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference last season.

CBS sportscast says New York Mets lost to Toronto Maple Leafs

It's pretty easy to get sports crossed up these days — especially with the NHL Finals running into what seems like the middle of the MLB season. And while the Mets don't get the sort of respect their cross-borough neighbors the Yankees get in their own city, it's even worse when you play a hockey team from Canada — and still lose!

On Thursday, a CBS New York sportscast botched a score between the local New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays.  And, despite a graphic the local station put on the TV screen, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not slapshot the Mets silly.

The "Ny" Mets are not our favourite squadron. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/5Ggusf4of8

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 19, 2015

Leave it to those humorous Canadians to respond with a Simpsons reference, eh?

John Tavares beats Maple Leafs with spectacular OT goal (VIDEO)

John Tavares is slowly building a legacy out on Long Island and, if last night was any indication, he'll be doing it long after the Islanders move to Brooklyn next year.

The Isles' captain scored on a sensational individual effort with 21.8 seconds left in overtime for a 4-3 Islanders win over the slumping Maple Leafs, salvaging a win from a game in which the Isles twice trailed by two goals in the third period.

It's the kind of momentum they can take that back home to their key match-up with the Rangers Tuesday night.

The game-winner was Tavares' 33rd goal of the season and second point of the night to increase his NHL leading point total to 72.

And to top it off, mom and dad were in the house last night to see it.

Martin Brodeur calls hockey 'too dangerous of a game': Report

Since joining the St. Louis Blues as a senior advisor last week, newly retired goaltender Martin Brodeur has been giving the team reports looking down from a scouting booth. But now the NHL veteran wants everyone to know about the ever-evolving game from the perspective of 20 years in front of the net too.

Brodeur spoke with Sportsnet to discuss what he likes and what he’d like to change about the game the future Hall of Famer played for almost his entire life.

The 42-year-old former New Jersey Devils legend pointed to the speed of the game and the resulting hits as something that he dislikes.

"It’s too tough of a game, too dangerous of a game. I think it goes… all the speed that they wanted to bring into the game, it kind of makes it up on those tough hits and it’s hard for the players to police themselves. First of all because fighting is going away from the game,” said Brodeur. “You have a lot of guys that are taking liberties and some guys they don’t, but because the game is so fast, they don’t have time to react to a lot of things.

"The dangerous part of the game, the accidents, some of the head injuries needs to get cleaned out."

Brodeur didn’t know exactly how the league needs to go about changing the game, but did have a couple of suggestions.

“The trapezoid has to go. I think the goalies have to help their players a little bit more, but a lot of the hits come because there’s no interference,” Brodeur said. “Put in the interference on the table for the players to use to help each other.

“In the neutral zone I understand the guy skating 100 miles an hour with the puck nobody should touch him, but when you see your guys getting lined up, you should be able to hook that guy a little bit to make him realize ‘hey, you got to stop buddy, you can’t hit him’. But if he does that, the guy gets a penalty. Interference needs to get back in the game.”

Brodeur was in Philadelphia on Saturday night scouting the Flyers and Leafs as part of his new role with St. Louis and spoke with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman about his new vantage point on top of the ice.

“I think it’s a lot easier to judge people from up here,” Brodeur said. “That’s where I’m trying to find the way of doing it, the right way of doing it, to give the best input I can knowing that two weeks ago, three weeks ago I was the one down there.

“Hockey’s hockey. Right here I think it exposes it a little bit, but it’s all productive.”

Maple Leafs remember to salute fans after beating Red Wings (VIDEO)

The Maple Leafs have won two games in a row thanks to their 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night following a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

And this time the players didn't forget the fans by making sure to take part in their post-game salute by raising their sticks to the Leaf faithful before skating off to the locker room.

It seems the team skipped the stick salute after Thursday's win, sparking a controversy bigger than a Rob Ford bar tab.

And that's a real no-no at Air Canada Centre, eh?

Everyday in Tor it's something. Today, outrage because the Leafs ditched the stick salute to the fans. Player decision. Coaches didn't know.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 21, 2014

Glad to see everything back to normal north of the border.

Maple Leafs fans sing the 'Star-Spangled Banner' after singer's mic fails (VIDEO)

The Maple Leafs hosted the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre and, as the "Star-Spangled Banner" was being sung, technical difficulties cut off the microphone.

Living up to the reputation that Canadians are the nicest people in the world, our neighbors to the north took over singing the U.S. National Anthem without missing a beat. 

Watch it unfold below:

It's too bad Toronto would go on to lose the game 9-2 but everyone was a winner just the same.  Eh?

Angry fan throws Maple Leafs jersey onto ice during play (VIDEO)

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their arses waxed at home Tuesday night, giving up five third-period goals to the Predators en route to a 9-2 loss.

And one fed up Leafs fan vented his frustration by tossing a jersey onto the ice late in the third period.

Another night, another Leafs jersey on the ice. This time during play. pic.twitter.com/mut2YS8Vnp
— Josh Gold-Smith (@GoldAndOrSmith) November 19, 2014

There's really nothing unique about throwing jerseys on the ice up at Air Canada Centre this season. Three days ago, a number of scarves and a jersey were thrown on the ice as the Leafs lost 6-2 to the lowly Sabres. It also happened twice in the Leafs first four games, and multiple players have given statements condemning the new form of protest. But this was the first time it has happened during live play:



Luckily play was stopped for that lively exchange between the Predators' Eric Nystrom and the Leafs' Leo Komarov.

And hockey is safer for it.

Rangers' Dan Girardi has close call after skate cuts neck (VIDEO)

The Rangers lost a tough one against the Maple Leafs Saturday night in Toronto, but one Rangers player is considering himself a fortunate man after a scary moment on the ice.

Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi suffered a cut on his neck after he was accidentally struck by the skate blade of Nazem Kadri during a battle for the puck in the corner — and it could have been worse.

At 13:19 of the third period as the two players battled for the puck, Kadri's skate inadvertently rose up and kicked Girardi under his jaw.

Rangers trainer Jim Ramsay raced out from the bench, but Girardi escaped with a three-inch scratch.

"I felt it right away," said Girardi, who played 23:24 minutes of the 5-4 loss. "I grabbed my neck, I looked [at my glove] and I didn't see anything. I saw a little bit [of blood], but I was like, whew . . . I pushed him over, but he lost his balance too. That's what he told me."

Whew indeed.

Maple Leafs' Daniel Winnik knocked out by nasty hit from Jan Hejda (VIDEO)

There was a scary moment Thursday night after Toronto Maple Leafs center Daniel Winnik was knocked out cold after taking a hit by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jan Hejda during the first period of an NHL game at Denver's Pepsi Center.

Winnik — who landed awkwardly on his head after the routine check — appeared to be unconscious as a team doctor scrambled out onto the ice.

After a few tense moments, Winnik was stretchered off the ice in front of the silent crowd.



Later, the team tweeted that he was alert and moving.

Daniel Winnik is alert and moving. He is currently being evaluated by the Leafs' team doctor. #TMLtalk
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) November 7, 2014

Zamboni door gets assist on Maple Leafs goal against Islanders (VIDEO)

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum has meant a lot of good times for the New York Islanders — well, 30 some-odd years ago — and lately the old building has been a little cranky.

Tuesday night against  the Toronto Maple Leafs the 42-year-old structure might have said what a lot of Islander fans are thinking since the team announced it will move to Brooklyn next season — 'There's the door.'

And here's an assist too.

During the first period, after the puck rimmed around the boards in the Islanders' zone last night, it hit off the Zamboni doors and bounced away from Isles defenseman Thomas Hickey. Then it went right to the stick of Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel. He then sent it to James van Riemsdyk who snuck a shot past Jaroslav Halak to tie the score 1-1.

Maybe the Barclays Center doors will be friendlier to the Isles when they move there next season — that's if anyone can see them from the obstructed-view section in the stands.

Red Wing fan's photobomb fails miserably during live newscast (VIDEO)

A Detroit Red Wings fan on his way to the Alumni Showdown hockey game during the Winter Festival at Comerica Park ended up hitting the ice himself when he tried photobombing a live news broadcast and wiped out.

As WJBK reporter Jennifer Hammond urged viewers to come down to the see the former-Detroit stars face the old Toronto Maple Leafs greats, a guy in a Red Wings jersey leaped behind her and flailed his arms before tumbling down — all on live TV.

He was acting a fool.

Fox 2 News Headlines

John Tavares checked into linesman's crotch by Nikolai Kulemin (VIDEO)

The New York Islanders had a scare on Tuesday night when the Maple Leafs' Nikolai Kulemin checked the Isles best player and captain John Tavares into the boards right in front of the Islanders bench. Their concern was likely nothing compared to the horror of the official who took the full brunt of Tavares' helmeted head in his crotch.

Or as the announcer saw it, "Tavares got cold-cocked by the linesman."

Tavares lost his balance before going head first into the boards. Perhaps luckily for him, there was a linesman in the way cushioning the blow.

Tavares was understandably shaken after the punishing hit. However he stayed on the bench and was back on the ice for his next shift.

The Leafs later posted a photo of the up-close-and-personal moment.

#TMLtalk photo: Kulemin's hit on Tavares pic.twitter.com/H85PoexxtN
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 20, 2013

Joffrey Lupul takes out teammate Nazem Kadri with high and hard elbow (GIF)

In what looked like a scene from WWE (yes it's rehearsed), Joffrey Lupul saw a chance to deliver a hard check on Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin next to his goal but, instead of laying into Sedin, he took out his own Maple Leafs teammate Nazem Kadri with a ferocious elbow.

And Kadri went down like Randy Orton hit with a chair .

Lupul had his sights squarely on his opponent until Sedin did a nice head fake and avoided the high hit. Kadri just happened be the next in the line of fire.

If it weren't on his own teammate, Lupul might be hearing from the NHL's Department of Player Safety after that blow. 

Cody Franson takes nasty hit into stanchion from Mike Fisher: (VIDEO)

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Cody Franson suffered a cut to his nose, but seems to have avoided a more serious injury after being shoved into a stanchion Thursday night, according to USA Today. That’s great news after he was the victim of the scary hit by Mike Fisher during Toronto’s match against the Nashville Predators.

Fisher pushed Franson from behind into stanchion, causing Franson to collapse to the ice. When he got up on his own strength, he left behind a pool of blood:

Fisher was given five minutes for boarding and a game misconduct for his actions, which “surprised” him, according to the Tennessean’s Joshua Cooper. As far as Fisher is concerned, it was a hockey play. He added that he didn’t intend to cause an injury.

Regardless, it brought back vivid memories of when Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara delivered a similar hit to Max Pacioretty in March 2011. That scary hit left Pacioretty with a broken vertebrae.

George Parros injured after falling face-first onto ice during fight (VIDEO)

Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros was taken off of the ice on a stretcher after falling on his face while fighting Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While falling, Orr held onto Parros, who had his arms wrapped up and had no way to protect himself as his face collided with the ice.

The Canadiens announced after the game that Parros suffered a concussion and that he is undergoing further tests.

The NHL added a new rule for the 2013-14 season that prohibits players from removing their own helmets during a fight in an effort to protect them from hitting their heads during a fight. Doing a face-plant onto the ice during a tussle is another thing.

The Maple Leafs and Canadiens are no strangers to fisticuffs in their games, as the Parros-Orr fight was the fourth one of the game.

Both Parros and Orr received 10-minute game misconducts as well as five-minute majors for fighting.

Maple Leafs fan holds up the most tasteless sign ever

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally ended the longest current home playoff drought in the NHL after playing their first postseason game at the Air Canada Centre Monday night against the Boston Bruins.  Most fans showed up and and made the experience of hosting the big night fun and memorable. But some showed the world they've never been there before in more ways than one.

This knucklehead took the occasion to hold up a poster with the words "Toronto Stronger" emblazoned with a blue ribbon to support the team.  All fine and dandy except when you realize it's a play on the words, "Boston Strong," the slogan used to help Boston residents — and everyone else for that matter— come to grips with the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy.

Twisting the rallying cry of a devastated country to cheer your own city is in bad taste. Using the words to compare the hopes of winning a hockey series to a city that just lost its innocence is shameful.

Stick to the blue and white scarves ... eh.

Maple Leafs' Tyler Bozak under fire for Michael Jackson Halloween costume

Some people are calling Tyler Bozak Bad and not in a good way.  The Toronto Maple Leafs center is getting a lot of heat after posting a picture of his Halloween costume — as the late pop singer Michael Jackson — on Instagram late Tuesday night.

Critics immediately jumped on Bozak for dressing in blackface and — after realizing it might not have been such a good idea — he pulled the crotch-grabbing pose shortly after tweeting the photo.

The low-scoring Bozak defended himself after the controversy and stood up for his actions in another tweet.

"That's a tribute to one of my favorite artists," he posted.  "For anyone saying it's racist is crazy!"

 Bozak's controversial photo follows a recent trend of NHL players donning blackface on Halloween.  Adam Burish and Patrick Kane partied as Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen in 2009 and Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres and his wife dressed as Jay-Z and Beyonce last year.

Torres' costume created such a media backlash, the Coyotes organization found it necessary to defend their player with a statement calling the accusations of racism "ridiculous."

The Maple Leafs have not yet commented on the Bozak situation.

A lot of people right now are probably thinking the young Canadian just didn't realize that wearing blackface was offensive and insensitive to some but, it has been reported that Bozak previously dressed up as a Jamaican bobsledder two years ago.

Old Bozie might want to switch to whiteface and go as Bozo next year.

Maple Leafs invited fans to 'Watch Paint Dry Live' on website

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs actually invited their long-suffering fans to "Watch Paint Dry Live" as a crew painted the ice at Air Canada Centre during a live stream on their website.

From the country that brought you the sport of curling, comes the next most riveting activity on ice that requires a brush or a broom.

Everyone knows winter starts sometime around August up north — and Canadians need a hobby to fill those cold and restless days — but watching paint dry on your computer sounds like it needs the fortification of a couple six-packs of Labatt's.

Luckily now you can watch the paint dry in time lapse with a dramatic soundtrack but nothing compares to seeing it live.

Sadly, with an NHL lockout looming, this could end up being the most thrilling hockey video of the NHL season.