Along the way Ayres has also become both a Hollywood cautionary tale and an inspirational example, a man once brought aboard ...

Ayres, who allowed two goals on 10 shots in 29 minutes of action, became the oldest goalie in league history to win his regular-season NHL debut. The former minor-leaguer also has served as the ...

David Ayres started the day as a 42-year-old Zamboni driver, but finished the day 1-0 in the NHL after stopping eight out of 10 shots for the Hurricanes in a 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs.

That's when David Ayres, a 42-year-old Zamboni-driving, kidney-transplant survivor, was forced into action.

Emergency backup goalie Dave Ayres made eight saves in relief of Carolina’s two injured netminders in the Hurricanes’ 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ayres also had a kidney transplant 15 years ago and wondered if he’d ever play hockey again. You really can’t make up one of the craziest nights in NHL history.

There was nobody happier for David Ayres Saturday night than his wife Sarah. As the 42-year-old Zamboni driver lived out his NHL dream Saturday, getting called into action for the Carolina Hurrican… ...

After emerging victorious in his National Hockey League debut for the Carolina Hurricanes, 42-year-old emergency backup goalie David Ayres has become an overnight sensation.

TORONTO -- David Ayres was sitting in the stands with his wife at Scotiabank Arena when Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer went down with an injury. The on-call emergency netminder in Toronto ...

TORONTO -- David Ayres was sitting in the stands with his wife at Scotiabank Arena when Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer went down with an injury. The on-call emergency netminder in Toronto ...