'Dream come true' for UNB Reds goalie, dons Leafs jersey in back-up slot

University of New Brunswick student Samuel Richard was at a friend's house in Quebec City on April 9 when he got a call from an unknown Ontario number.

On the other line, to his surprise, was the goaltender development coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Richard, who is originally from Ste-Catherine, Que., was asked if he would be interested in being a backup goalie for the Leafs for one game — at Madison Square Garden.

"Obviously the answer is yes," said Richard. "And the next afternoon, Monday afternoon, everything got confirmed." He flew to Tampa for a practice with the Leafs, who were there for a game.

Richard, a first-year student, is the goalie for the UNB Reds men's hockey team. Before coming to Fredericton, he played for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Despite missing a week of school during exam season, Richard said his professors were understanding.

"I was just telling myself, just enjoy the moment like that might happen just once in a lifetime. So just enjoy that and we'll try to figure it out the next week and just grind school after," he said.

For Richard, his 24-hour contract was for the game against the New York Rangers on April 13 at the Garden.  

This kind of arrangement is called an amateur tryout. In the NHL, this agreement is only used for one day on an emergency basis and is most often done for goaltenders.

Goalies Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov were out, so while Joseph Woll sat in net, Richard waited on the bench in case he needed to jump in.

Richard said just being there was a "dream come true," but if he had the opportunity to jump in net, he was "ready for it and prepared."

He said the experience in the locker room before the game was "impressive," noting the professionalism from staff and players.

Proud to wear the jersey

The team was also welcoming, said Richard, and when they scored, he shared a fist bump with other players. The final score was 3-2 for the Leafs.

As a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan, donning a Maple Leafs jersey was a new experience, but a great one.

"At that level you don't really care about which jersey you wear, you're just proud you can wear one."

And, while it was Richard's first time cheering for the Leafs, it won't be the last.  

With Toronto in the playoffs, and the Canadiens out, Richard will be pulling for them.