Scott Foster, accountant turned Chicago Blackhawks goalie, stars in NHL debut
CHICAGO -- Scott Foster, 36-year-old accountant, thought it was going to be just another night of watching the Blackhawks from the press box. Then, in an instant, he signed a contract, put on goaltender gear and waited in Chicago's locker room. Shortly, after, it was his turn to get into the game.
Foster was pressed into action when Chicago lost Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia to injuries, and the former college goalie stopped all seven shots he faced over the final 14 minutes of the Blackhawks' 6-2 victory over the playoff-bound Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
"This is something that no one can ever take away from me," Foster said. "It's something that I can go home and tell my kids and they can tell their friends. ... Just a ton of fun."
Not surprisingly, Foster was announced as the No. 1 star of the game:
Foster is part of a crew of recreational goaltenders who staff Chicago's home games in case of emergencies for either team. But it usually just means a nice dinner and a night in the press box watching the world's best players compete at hockey's highest level.
Nothing at all like this.
"What a moment," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said with a chuckle.
Forsberg was expected to start, but he got hurt during a "pregame ritual," according to Quenneville. Delia, who was just recalled from the minors Wednesday, then stopped 25 of 27 shots in his NHL debut before he was helped off the ice with 14:01 left after he cramped up.
Enter Foster, a married father of two who lives in nearby Oak Park and plays in two rec leagues. After a short warmup, the game resumed and Foster got a big cheer from the crowd of 21,839 when he denied Tyler Myers for his first save about a minute after he came in.
"The initial shock happened when I had to dress. I think you just kind of black out after that," Foster said.
Backed by chants of "Foster! Foster!" and more loud ovations, he made another stop on Myers and turned away Paul Stastny and Dustin Byfuglien in the final minutes. When it was over, the Blackhawks poured onto the ice and mobbed Foster in the net.
"He was great," defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "I think the boys were doing whatever they could to help him out. He made some big saves. Fun night."
