Citizen goalie
Hurricanes folk hero goalie made an honorary North Carolinian.
Emergency backup goaltender David Ayres — a Canadian citizen who is an employee of the Toronto Maple Leafs — was named an honorary North Carolinian Tuesday by North Carolina governor Roy Cooper.
Cooper submitted a proclamation honoring Ayres, noting the 42-year-old Zamboni driver and kidney transplant survivor embodied the state’s motto Esse Quam Videri, which means “to be rather than to seem.”
When both Hurricanes’ goaltenders left a game Saturday against the Maple Leafs in Toronto due to injuries, Ayres came in as the designated emergency backup. Wearing a Hurricanes jersey and a helmet featuring Toronto hockey decals, Ayres stopped eight of 10 shots to get credit for the 6-3 win.
Oilers
Edmonton winger Kailer Yamamoto is out with an ankle injury and listed as week to week. He was hurt in a victory Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings. A first-round pick by the Oilers in 2017, Yamamoto has nine goals, 12 assists in 21 games with Edmonton this season.
Elsewhere
Seattle’s expansion NHL franchise is trying to make it easier for fans to get to its games in the traffic-clogged city. NHL Seattle announced Tuesday that it will fully subsidize public transit costs for fans with season tickets or single-game tickets. Additionally, the team is entering into a partnership with the Seattle Center Monorail to upgrade the current system connecting downtown Seattle with the Seattle Center, where the team’s arena is under construction.