The Kansas City Mavericks and Utah Grizzlies met in an ECHL game on Saturday at the Maverik Center and let’s just say that there was a lot to unpack in this game.
For starters, the visiting Mavericks scored five first-period goals en route to a 10-3 shellacking of the Grizzlies. One of the game officials was Sydney Harris. The female referee was working the second game of her ECHL career.
Among the penalty calls the referees were doling were minors and majors to goalies Victor Ostman of the Mavericks and Jake Barczewski of the Grizzlies. Both netminders skated to center ice, doffed their masks and bulky mitts and engaged in a spirited tilt. Each was assessed minors for taking off their helmets and majors for fighting.
GOALIE FIGHT 🗣️ GOALIE FIGHT 🗣️@kc_mavericks @UtahGrizzlies pic.twitter.com/8sFbaqR4Ts
— ECHL (@ECHL) December 8, 2024
Barczewski was clearly finishing as the runner-up in the bout, with linesmen calling to the bench to get assistance for the Utah goalie. Eventually, Barczewski was able to get to his feet and continue to finish the game.
Had officials elected to eject the goalies for their fight, another layer would’ve been added to this compelling story. On the Kansas City bench wearing No. 60 was the designated Utah EBUG, Jay Stevens.
A firefighter/paramedic and beer league netminder who played college hockey at Weber State, Stevens has been serving as EBUG of ECHL games in Kansas City for the better part of two decades.
Saturday marked the 23rd time and fifth season in a row he’s been called upon to suit up for an ECHL game. The 6-2, 201-pound netminder is 51 years old. Had Stevens entered the game, he would’ve become the oldest netminder to appear in a pro hockey game.
Over the years, Stevens has worn the jersey of 11 different ECHL clubs. He’s suited up eight times for the hometown Grizzlies and they are the only team that’s actually been required to insert him into a game.
Stevens played 11 minutes of a 2016-17 game for the Grizzlies, stopping all seven shots he faced in a 3-2 win over the Rapid City Rush on Dec. 11, 2016. Stevens hosts his own podcast, The Utah Puck Report. You can also follow him on X (@jaysus28) or Instagram (Sieve28).