Ryan Zimmerman may have retired from the beisbol but his ambitions in hockey are only just beginning.
The Nationals’ legendary infielder and World Series-winner took to his new Instagram account on Tuesday to alert the Capitals that he’s available to be the team’s emergency goaltender.
“Let’s hope not, but ready if needed, @capitals!” Zimmerman joked. “Good luck in Round 1 💪”
Zimmerman posted a photo of himself side by side with Alex Ovechkin out on the ice. “Who wore it better?” he asked.
Zim also jumped into the comments of an RMNB post.
The photos are from a Capitals practice Zimmerman attended in January 2020.
“I’m about to attempt to play goalie against some of the best hockey players in the world,” Zimmerman said then. “I’m terrified to death right now. I have no idea what to expect and I hope I don’t die.”
Zimmerman became a goalie for the day to fulfill a bet with Nicklas Backstrom from earlier in his career.
“He said to me three years ago, ‘How hard could it be?’” Backstrom said. “And I’m like, ‘Come out here. Come out here. You can be the goalie.’”
“I couldn’t back down,” Zimmerman said.
“At first, he wanted to do it with no skates and I’m like ‘no, no, no, no.’ Let’s not get carried away here,” Backstrom said.
Zimmerman, fresh off getting his number retired at the University of Virginia, did show off a good glove while in net.
“I don’t think he’ll make the team, but he had fun,” Alex Ovechkin remarked. But the Capitals had Braden Holtby then.
This year, with two young goaltenders who have struggled at times, the idea is not as far-fetched.
