Curtis Joseph nearly signed a contract and made his return to the NHL last night

The NHL Emergency Backup Goalie rule might be the one of the great rules in professional sports. The rule has led to some incredible stories over the past decade. In 2018, Scott Foster became the first EBUG in NHL history to make a save, registering 7 saves in relief. In 2020, David Ayers became the first EBUG to record a victory when he came into a game and helped the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last night the Toronto Maple Leafs nearly had to turn to an EBUG of their own after Matt Murray was injured in the first period. On the play Red Wings' forward Lucas Raymond lost an edge and slid into the legs of Murray knocking the goalie hard to the ice. Murray would not return.


Ilya Samsonov would enter the game in relief to finish the first period and begin the second. However, it's been well documented that Samsonov has been dealing with health issues described as "bumps and bruises" for a couple weeks now. After making a save Samsonov immediately began to show signs of discomfort, which left Maple Leafs' fans feeling uneasy.


If Samsonov was hurt, who was the next man up? Well arena cameras captured Curtis Joseph entering a locker room carrying his equipment.


While some weren't sure Ian Cameron confirmed in fact Joseph was the emergency backup for the Leafs last night. Meaning Joseph would have been the next man up for the Leafs.


I'm not sure about you, but I definitely would have loved watching CuJo make is return to the Leafs.