The Sunday Read: Meet the Bruins EBUG Living Out His Dream

BOSTON –– Tyler Bost picked up a phone call from his boss.

It was Brian Daccord, the president and founder of Stop It Goaltending, where Bost is a director. Daccord was also the goaltending coach for the Boston Bruins from 2000 to 2002. He had an offer for Bost.

​With Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo both in Milan, Italy, representing their respective countries at the Winter Olympic Games, the B’s were set to be goalie-less when NHL practices resumed on Wednesday.

​Boston filled one net with a call-up of Michael DiPietro from Providence, and outsourced the other. Would Bost want to serve as a practice goalie for the Bruins, Daccord questioned. The answer was an obvious yes.​

“One thing led to another, and I just welcomed the opportunity,” Bost said. “Just like, what an opportunity. An opportunity to pick the guys’ brains – I’m a goalie coach myself, so just try to see what this level is all about, and enjoy it. Just go with the flow.”

Bost, who is a New Jersey native, played four years of NCAA Division III hockey. After three years at Nichols College, he transferred to UMass Boston for his senior season in 2024-25. Now, he is a lead goalie coach for Stop It Goaltending, which specializes in the comprehensive development of netminders.

One moment, Bost was teaching youngsters positioning in the crease. The next, he was between the pipes himself, fending off the shot of Morgan Geekie, the Bruins’ leading goal-scorer.

“You want to go in and not get torched – want to make some saves and just be ready to go,” Bost said. “Today, I just got my feet underneath me a little bit. Felt a little bit better, able to track the puck. I think that’s the biggest thing – going from men’s league to this. Just the puck tracking, in terms of me hitting my spots, was a little bit weird the first day. Then day two felt a lot better.”

Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa was intentional with who the team brought in for practice this week, because it could have implications on next season’s setup. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association ratified a new collective bargaining agreement in July, which will run from Sept. 16, 2026, through Sept. 15, 2030.

One of the changes in the upcoming CBA is around Emergency Backup Goalies. Up until this point, the EBUGs stand by at home games, but do not practice or travel with the NHL club. They were normal people; everyone remembers David Ayres, the 42-year-old Toronto Zamboni driver who heroically came in as an EBUG for the Carolina Hurricanes when they were playing the Maple Leafs in 2020, and earned a win.

Starting next season, though, teams will be allowed to have a full-time EBUG who practices and travels with the team throughout the season. As per previous rules, the goalie cannot have any NHL experience, nor can they have 80 or more games of professional hockey experience, nor have played professional hockey in the last three seasons.

“With the potential for a traveling EBUG next year, which is going to get implemented, it’s a chance for us to look at some of the local guys here to see if something they could fill the bill for,” said Essensa, who is in his 23rd season with the Bruins. “[Bost] is a very nice kid. A local guy who is very involved in Stop It and the whole goaltending world. He right now is a terrific fit for what we’re kind of looking for next year. But we’re obviously going to exhaust all the resources that we can to see who fits the bill for that moving forward.”

Bost has enjoyed the time simply talking shop with Essensa. He brings the lessons right back to his own work, where he’s been able to clock in during the afternoon after Bruins practices, Bost said. His students are all about it.

“The kids all love it. I was sending them some pictures yesterday. It is pretty cool,” Bost said. “I was just asking [Essensa] about some different things. I know they like to implement a lot of recoil off the rush and some in-zone plays. I was asking, in terms of some pass-out looks, and then also we were working on some power-play stuff.”

While the addition of this week’s practice goalies was out of absolute necessity, the new EBUG rule could change the way teams look at load management and scheduling for their starting goaltenders.

“In this scenario, you’re going to have a guy who is available to skate if we have injured guys skating or who want to stay out and do some extra [work] without taxing your No. 1 or No. 2. I think it’s probably long overdue,” Essensa said.

“As much as we want to see the Zamboni drivers of the world slide in to get into a game once in a while, I think it’s important to have somebody that you’re either going to develop, or have somebody who is always going to be in net so the guys aren’t just shooting on empty nets.”

On the other end of the ice was DiPietro, before he got reassigned to Providence on Friday. The 26-year-old – who was traded to Boston in October 2022 – leads all AHL goaltenders with a 1.65 goals against average and a .942 save percentage, recording an overall record of 22-5-0.

“He’s had a terrific season down in Providence, and it’s a nice chance to sit down with him and talk a bit about his game and where it’s at,” Essensa said of DiPietro. “Obviously, he’s looking for an opportunity up here. He’s banging on the door, as he should. We’re just kind of gauging where he’s at in relation to where our guys are at.”

DiPietro has been a driving force in the P-Bruins' success this season; they set a new franchise record of 13 consecutive wins with their victory over the Belleville Senators on Friday, in which DiPietro made 25 saves. He is pushing for something more, though.

“Being grateful to be able to play professional hockey and play at the level that you are. Obviously, down the road, you want to reach your goals. Not only do you want a taste, but when you do get a taste, you want to stay. You don’t want to have a cup of coffee, right?” DiPietro said.

“For me, it’s being a well-balanced player on and off the ice and person. When and if the time comes, I get the opportunity, whether it be this season, next season, whatever, I just want to take the ball and just run with it.”

​Whether a top goaltender in the AHL or a former college player getting to partially realize a childhood dream, this week of Bruins practices has showcased the different stories in net within the organization.​

“It was pretty cool just after, reflecting on it. Staying in Southie with some of my buddies. Just talking with them about it like, ‘Wow, I was just in the locker room with a bunch of NHL guys.’ Sitting in Swayman’s stall, it’s pretty cool,” Bost said. “Just try to act professional, but at the same time, be grateful for the opportunity.”