He shoots, he scores! AJHL goalie scores rare goalie goal
History was made, sort of, in the Alberta Junior Hockey League Tuesday night when Spruce Grove Saints goaltender Tristan Martin scored an empty-net goal.
With the Saints leading 5-3, their opponent, the Grande Prairie Storm, pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker.
With 50 seconds left in the third period, the puck was sent behind the Saints' net where Martin stopped it, then turned and lofted it down the ice into the empty net.
Martin's Spruce Grove teammates rushed over to congratulate him on the rare feat and what was his first goal.
“It was my first-ever crack at it in a game … so it was pretty cool,” Martin told CTV News on Wednesday.
Martin said he didn’t hesitate to try to score when he grabbed the puck behind the net.
“I was going for it. Then I got scared when the d-man jumped high at the blueline there and it just missed his glove but then it started curving back in towards the net. Then I was like, 'Oh no, it’s going in.'”
The AJHL told CTV News it believes it's the first time a goalie has shot the puck down the length of the ice to score a goal in the league's 58-year history.
However, AJHL Vice President Charla Flett added that Martin is not the first goalie to be credited with a goal.
Sherwood Park Crusaders goalie Jake Morrissey in February 2017 when he was the last player on his team to touch the puck when he made a save, before a Camrose Kodiaks defender accidentally passed it into his own empty net.
Fort McMurray Oil Barons netminder Jimmy Bernier was credited with two goals during the 2005/06 season, but the team chalks that up to a clerical error.
And, Olds Grizzlys goalie Glen Furgason was also credited with a goal way back in 1985/86.
Martin, 19, hales from St. Vincent, Alta. He has only been with the Spruce Grove Saints since a Dec. 2 trade with the Grizzlys.
After the 6-3 victory, the Saints sit in first place in the AJHL North Division with a 34-7-4 record. They continue a road trip in Whitecourt Wednesday night against the Wolverines.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.