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Carolina Hurricanes put emergency goaltender, Equipment Manager Jorge Alves, in net for final 7.6 seconds of game

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The Carolina Hurricanes lost 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, but one tiny gesture by the team’s head coach made the organization a winner at life.

With 7.6 seconds left in the third period, Bill Peters told the team’s 37-year-old equipment manager, Jorge Alves, to go in net to finish the game. As Alves manned the pipes and the seconds ticked away, he officially became an NHL player, fulfilling a life-long dream.

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Following the end of the game, alternate captain Jeff Skinner gave Alves the game puck.

Cam Ward even waited after all the players went into the locker room to congratulate Alves at the bench.

Alves sobbed when he was interviewed by the media in the locker room.

The team’s talented equipment manager wore a mask that he specially painted himself.

He also still continued to perform his duties during intermission.

Earlier Saturday, the Hurricanes signed Alves to a professional tryout contract because backup goaltender Eddie Lack was feeling under the weather. With the team’s minor league affiliates out of town — the Charlotte Checkers were in Manitoba and the Florida Everblades were in Charleston — General Manager Ron Francis opted to sign the team’s equipment manager, who has occasionally practiced with the team.

According to the Hurricanes, Alves played with NC State University’s club hockey team for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons, and had several short stints in the ECHL and Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). In 2001, Alves moved to Raleigh following four years of in the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC, and has worked with Carolina’s equipment staff since the 2003-04 season. He lives in Knightdale, NC, with his wife Amanda and their two children, Madison and Jaxon.

Way to go, Canes.

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