CALGARY — Dusty Nickel was midway through his bag of press-box popcorn when his phone delivered the news.
As the Calgary Flames†resident EBUG (emergency backup goalie), the 34-year-old construction company owner had been summoned downstairs after Vegas netminder Adin Hill left Tuesdayâ€s game with an injury.
While rushing outside to grab his gear from his truck, Flames forward Sam Honzek smashed into Golden Knights backup Akira Schmid, opening up the very real possibility Nickel could be pressed into action.
However, Nickel was oblivious to the anxious moments being felt on the visiting bench.
“I got stuck with a new security guy on the elevator that wasnâ€t letting me down,†chuckled Nickel.
“He needed to see my credentials. Iâ€ve got a suit jacket with eight or nine game passes and I didnâ€t know which one it was, and while I showed him them all I said, ‘I donâ€t have time for this, youâ€ve gotta call this in because Iâ€ve got to go.’â€
- Watch Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet
Watch Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ all season long. This Saturday, catch the Maple Leafs vs. the Kraken, the Canadiens vs. the Rangers, the Jets vs. the Predators and Flames vs. the Golden Knights.
Broadcast schedule
Shortly after Schmid was cleared to resume, Nickel arrived in the Saddledomeâ€s alumni dressing room, where he went through a fruitless procedure with which he’s all too familiar.
He put on half his equipment, stretched, signed some paperwork, watched the intermission panel discuss him and the possibilities, and longed to finish that bag of popcorn.
Flames assistant equipment manager, Ben Duhaime, double-checked the spelling of Nickelâ€s last name for a Vegas jersey they were preparing.
As EBUGs are instructed to remain neutral, and out of sight unless summoned into action, Nickel never wound up seeing the jersey, the bench, or any action.
Just another night for the backupâ€s backup.
Nickel is a bit of a legend around these parts, and not just because of that fantastic handle of his.
Heâ€s been the Flames’ EBUG the last handful of years, striding into the Domeâ€s media lounge buffet area just before puck drop every night wearing a suit, a toque and a massive grin on his face.
“Itâ€s $100 a game, and to be honest, I put most of it on 50-50 tickets,†he laughed.
“I havenâ€t won yet. Iâ€m 0-for-82 the last two years. I havenâ€t even won a secondary prize. Actually, Iâ€m not even sure if Iâ€m allowed to claim it if I win.â€
He won second prize, of sorts, two years ago when the former Calgary Canuck was whisked into the Flames dressing room prior to puck drop to spell Jacob Markstrom, who got sick just before puck drop.
That night he was paid $500, and got to keep the jersey.
Just two minutes in, all eyes turned to Nickel after Dan Vladar was run by Vegas forward William Carrier and needed medical attention on the ice.
“I knew that was coming,†he smiled, recalling his brush with the then-defending Cup champs.
“I remember in warmies I was stretching out and LT (Logan Thompson) and Stoney (Mark Stone) and (Jack) Eichel were all at centre ice and they were looking at me and kind giving me the nod, and I was like, ‘You guys are going to do something arenâ€t you?†I knew something was coming.
“They probably figured, ‘Hey, weâ€ll throw the EBUG in and have an easy point night.’Â
“Everyone thought I was nervous that whole time, but the adrenaline had worn off — I just didnâ€t know where my gloves were after I gave them to Benny, and I thought my skates were kind of dull.â€
The Flames have kept Nickel busy in other ways, using him 100 times last year as a practice fill-in for the Flames and Wranglers.
He doesnâ€t do it for the money, as it amounts to little more than free gear and a couple grand at the end of the year he calls “beer and gas money.â€Â
Given this seasonâ€s compacted schedule, theyâ€ll likely use him even more.
- 32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
Latest episode
However, the real carrot comes next year when the new CBA calls for every team in the league to employ a full-time EBUG who travels and practices with the team.
“The Never Hungry League — itâ€s a pretty exciting thing,†said Nickel, who also runs a goalie school.
“Youâ€d have a lot of people lining up for that job. Per diem and food. What an experience to see a bit of the world that way. What a cool experience to be able to do that, to kind of be a bullpen catcher and be able to go on road trips and hang out with the guys. I think it would be an absolute blast.â€
While Nickel has been told the EBUG will be paid roughly $75,000 US, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Sportsnet each team will decide what compensation will be involved.
“These positions likely wonâ€t be exclusively dedicated to EBUG status,†said Daly.
“The individual would likely have other full-time responsibilities with the club.â€
Thatâ€s just fine with Nickel, who has the flexibility to continue dropping everything to help the Flames.
“Every year I keep saying, ‘One more year, one more year,†but then maybe next year I could get to travel, and then the new rink… maybe two more years,†said the affable Calgarian, who has become part of the team in many ways.
“I love skating with the guys, and itâ€s a great culture. As long as you can keep playing, play as long as you can.â€
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.