Hurricanes equipment manager plays emergency goalie

Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves played goalie for the final 7.6 seconds of a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

"When I did realized it was going to happen, it was kind of disbelief," Alves, 37, said. "For years it's always been kind of a joke around the locker room that I might go in. That was an amazing experience."

Alves, signed to a professional tryout contract to be the emergency goalie, led the Hurricanes on the ice for warmups, but the rest of the team waited about 15 seconds to join him.

"Yeah, I definitely didn't see that coming," he said. "I don't know how I missed that. But I took a little wheel around and looked over and said, 'All right.'"

Alves was seen sharpening skates and taping sticks during the first period while in full goalie gear. Carolina signed Alves because Eddie Lack, who was ill, could not back up Cam Ward.

A native of Massachusetts, Alves has worked with the Hurricanes since the 2003-04 season. A U.S. Marines veteran, he played for the North Carolina State club team and in the ECHL and Southern Professional Hockey League.

"It was obviously a big day for him," Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said. "He's worked hard for us, he's been at practice a lot and taken a lot of high heat from us. He deserved a day like that."