Retired goaltender Andrew Raycroft, now an analyst with NESN, recently recounted a hilarious story of when he almost became an EBUG while working in the studio.
In a recent episode of the Clearing the Crease Podcast, hosted by ex-NHL defenseman Mike Commodore and AHL commentator James Cybulski, Raycroft revealed the remarkable incident. Raycroft mentioned that a few years ago, he nearly stepped in as the Bruins' Emergency Backup (EBUG) when Tuukka Rask suffered an injury.
Now 42, Raycroft spent the initial eight years of his career with the Bruins organization, having been drafted 135th overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
During his first full season (2003-04), Raycroft won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, boasting a 29-18-9 record, a 2.05 GAA, .926 SV%, and three shutouts. The Ontario native concluded his career with a 113-114-10-17 record, a 2.89 GAA, and a .900 SV%.
Interestingly, in 2006, Raycroft was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for none other than Tuukka Rask—the very player he almost had to serve as an EBUG for at nearly 40 years old.
