Jamie Nye: The good, the bad, the ugly of David Ayres’ remarkable moment

David Ayres’ story is magnificent, embarrassing and head-shaking all in one.

First off, and more importantly, a 42-year-old Zamboni driver who needed a kidney transplant beating the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Carolina Hurricanes’ emergency goalie is top notch.

I won’t take anything away from that story. It’s as good a Hollywood story as there is. It’ll be one of the best stories of the sports year, no doubt.

That’s the magnificent part of it.

Embarrassing. That’s the word to describe the Leafs, not so much being outscored by the Hurricanes but the way it went down. You’d think the Leafs would smell blood and pounce after scoring two goals on two shots on Ayres. Nope. Instead they coasted through the third and could only get seven shots on net.

Now, it’s also head-shaking that a professional league needs to bring a 42-year-old to play goal. Could you imagine a groundskeeper pitching the ninth? How about a security guard playing quarterback? No, it wouldn’t happen.

But before the NHL changes the rule, let’s be thankful we got to witness David Ayres’ time in the spotlight. It was a wild and entertaining ride.