Dallas Stars sign former NCAA goaltender Joe O’Brien as emergency backup
The Dallas Stars will have an abnormality in their lineup on Saturday night.
Due to an injury to goaltender Jake Oettinger, they have signed former NCAA goaltender Joe O’Brien as an emergency backup.
O’Brien played four years at Niagara University, and is from Clayton, Missouri, less than nine miles from St. Louis. In 26 games with the Purple Eagles, O’Brien posted a 3-11-2 record, with a 4.07 goals-against average and .876 save percentage.
He will not be completely rusty, as he was on the ice Saturday morning with Stars’ goaltending coach, Jeff Reese.
EBUG Joey O’Brien is on the ice this morning in St. Louis. Jake Oettinger got hurt last night in Dallas. pic.twitter.com/P2HhB01rJ2
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) December 16, 2023
The 28-year-old also played AAA hockey in St. Louis, and was coached by Blues’ legend and Hockey Hall-of-Famer, Al MacInnis.
The move was made as the Stars are scheduled to face the St. Louis Blues, on the road. Oettinger was injured during Dallas’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night, leaving during the first period after making a strange-looking save on the Sens’ Claude Giroux.
Jake Oettinger has left the game and gone to the dressing room following an awkward save on Claude Giroux. pic.twitter.com/dCiC1wKoCK
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 16, 2023
Scott Wedgewood managed to come and pick up the win after playing the final 51:57. To no one’s surprise, the former Plymouth Whaler is expected to start against the Blues.
There have been many famous instances where emergency backups have made appearances. David Ayres famously hopped on the ice for the Carolina Hurricanes to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2020, and Scott Foster helping the Chicago Blackhawks hold off the Winnipeg Jets two seasons prior.
The Stars have been on the other side of an EBUG situation. In the final game of the Anaheim Ducks’ 2021-22 season, in Dallas, both John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz both went down with injury. In came Thomas Hodges to play the final 54 seconds of the game, giving up a goal. Unfortunately, that tally ended up making Hodges the goalie on record, becoming the first emergency backup to record a loss.
The Stars (17-8-3) come into Saturday night second in the Central Division with 37 points, one back of the Colorado Avalanche for first.