Sheldon Keefe makes surprising revelation about the decision to put Jett Alexander in as the EBUG last night
With 1:10 left on the clock in regulation in last night's game against Montreal, the Toronto Maple Leafs replaced Ilya Samsonov with EBUG, Jett Alexander, in order to make his dream come true in a runaway game. However, Sheldon Keefe mentioned at the end of the game that the decision didn't come from him.
When asked about the decision, Keefe said:
"It was not my decision. Word came down to me about 30 seconds before the whistle came & I made it happen."
Then when asked, who made the decision, he responded with:
"That's not important," continued Keefe.
Maybe the captain knew about the decision? No, because even though John Tavares applauded Keefe for putting Jett Alexander in the game, he mentioned how he was unaware of any players on the bench pushing for the decision to be made. Veteran, Ryan O'Reilly, echoed Tavares' comments as well.
"I had no idea. I was on the bench and the next thing I know I hear we're doing it," said O'Reilly
Either way, it's always a nice moment to see a local minor leaguer get the opportunity of a lifetime by lacing the skates and strapping on the pads even if it's for 70 seconds.
The 23-year-old, Jett Alexander, a goaltender at the University of Toronto, was 12-7-2 this season with a .927 SV% and a 2.21 G.A.A. He made 1 save in his abbreviated appearance and one that he will never forget for the rest of his life.
Fellow goaltender, Ilya Samsonov, was very happy and excited for Alexander's opportunity:
"I'm so happy for him. Great to see this moment. First NHL game, doesn't matter it one minute, but big for him. He come to the rink to probably sit on the bench, but he has the time for play. Thank you team, we got a chance for another dream in the world"
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 9 | 554 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe makes surprising revelation about the decision to put Jett Alexander in as the EBUG last night Did you like the Leafs putting Jett Alexander in for the final 1:10 of last night's 7-1 win over the Habs? | ||
| Loved it! | 475 | 85.7 % |
| Meh, it was fine | 45 | 8.1 % |
| Didn't care either way | 34 | 6.1 % |
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