Ayres enjoys fame after win as emergency goalie

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) » David Ayres is still adjusting to new-found stardom after winning a game as the emergency goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes.

The 42-year-old Zamboni driver and kidney-transplant recipient has been making the rounds on TV shows and radio interviews since earning Saturday’s unlikely win at Toronto following injuries to the Hurricanes’ top two goalies. Now he’s here to provide Carolina with another boost by cranking the pregame siren to fire up fans before Tuesday’s visit from Dallas, part of a day that included being honored by the Raleigh mayor and North Carolina governor.

“It hasn’t stopped since I got off the ice,” Ayres said Tuesday at a news conference alongside his wife, Sarah. “It’s a good time for

sure.”

Ayres said he would watch videos of people sounding the siren to prepare.

“Everyone has said this siren thing, it’s really huge and really loud and everyone gets crazy, so I can’t wait,” Ayres said. “This is going to be so much fun. I just hope I’m doing it right.”

Well, in the eyes of Hurricanes fans, he probably can do no wrong, anyway. Not after he skated into the net Saturday night for a team jostling for playoff position in the Eastern Conference as the local on-call goaltender, then finished with eight saves in the 6-3 win against the Maple Leafs.

That made him the oldest goalie in NHL history to win his regular-season debut, while Ayres’ stick was sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame.