Banker Gets Called Up As Backup NHL Goalie While Bathing Twins

The Arizona Coyotes lost their backup goalie before warmups even started, leaving a club player as the only backup to Louis Domingue.

Nathan Schoenfeld was at home bathing his five-week-old twin boys when he got a text saying his services were needed for the night, according to the Arizona Republic. 

Schoenfeld never got in the game, but the Coyotes poured in so many goals he may have stood half a chance. With no time to call up anyone from the minors, Arizona had to turn to its designated emergency backup resulting in Schoenfeld's Walter Mitty moment in the NHL and the MVP belt. 

"The way we played tonight, I though he (Schoenfeld) would have made it OK," said Domingue, who stopped 17 shots with no real backup behind him.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Martin Hanzal each had a goal and two assists, helping the Coyotes roll over Montreal 6-2 Monday night to complete a season sweep over the Canadiens for the first time in 36 seasons as a franchise. 

Schoenfeld became the Arizona Coyotes' backup netminder for Monday night's game against Montreal after No. 2 goalie Anders Lindback suffered an injury prior to warmups. He is the team's designated emergency goaltender and the son of former NHL player and coach Jim Schoenfeld. He played club hockey at Arizona State, but has never participated in organized hockey since college. He signed an Amateur Tryout Agreement before the game. 

The NHL instituted a new rule requiring every team to have a goalie who lives in the area and can dress in case of an injury emergency.

Instead of playing tentatively with no real backup goalie, the Coyotes were aggressive, sending a flurry of shots at Montreal goalie Mike Condon.

Arizona capitalized on most of those chances, matching the previous three games combined with a season high in goals. The Coyotes had 13 different players notch a point and six different goal scorers.

Hanzal scored his third goal in four games and Anthony Duclair added a goal in the first period. Brad Richardson, Kevin Connauton and Ekman-Larsson scored in the second, with Antoine Vermette capping the scoring burst with a goal in the third.

Despite the scoring output, the Coyotes awarded their player-of-the-game championship belt to Schoenfeld, a 31-year-old banker who skates with the team during the offseason.

"It was fun to see a guy sit in there after the game in his equipment and take it all in," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said.