UBC Thunderbirds goaltenders Dorrin Luding and Cole Schwebius are using their talents for a side hustle with the Vancouver Canucks. While it doesn’t pay, there are some perks.
“It’s pretty nice, getting the free food. The free tickets is huge as well,” said Luding, a fifth-year at UBC. “The chance – one in a million chance – of getting in and being an NHL player is the best part.”
Luding and Schwebius are NHL Emergency Backup Goalies, better known as EBUGs.
“Everybody always asks, ‘Do you think you’d be nervous to go in there?’ And your answer is always yes, right. But I think it’d be such a cool experience. Probably one of those ones where fears go away and you just play,” said Schwebius, a third-year at UBC.
Luding and Schwebius split Vancouver Canucks home games, and will only appear in a game in the extremely rare circumstance when both Canucks goalies are unavailable.
Perhaps the most memorable EBUG moment happened when 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres was forced into action following in-game injuries to both Caroline Hurricanes goalies. Ayres ended up stopping eight of 10 shots and helped the Hurricanes seal the win.
His game-used stick is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
While both Luding and Schwebius know it’s unlikely they’ll ever see any game time, Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko’s injury status has left uncertainty between the pipes.
Both netminders say they’re thrilled to even be in the arena and part of the organization.
“I think any time you get to kind of be part of something like that, it’s such a high level of performance,” said Schwebius, who also preparing for the upcoming U Sports playoffs. “It’s pretty special.”
