The emergency backup goalie, affectionately known as the EBUG, is one of those eccentricities that exists in hockey. When a team unexpectedly loses one of its rostered goalies, especially when they’re on the road, it’s become a necessity.

The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye are experiencing that need right now. The Walleye are far from home, playing the last game in their three-game set with the Idaho Steelheads in Boise.

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 As the ECHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, Toledo has enjoyed having a long list of players on NHL deals join their roster. However, sometimes it has its drawbacks like when goalie Carter Gylander was reassigned by Detroit to its AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Gylander had to leave Boise immediately to join the Griffins, who are on the road in Allentown, Pa., for a game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Walleye traveled with two goaltenders to Boise, so what do they do in a pinch?

They do what teams have been doing for decades. They called on Doug Melvin to be the emergency backup goalie to starter Jan Bednar. He is currently listed on Toledo's roster and likely will sit on the bench in Toledo uniform with the team. The only way he would go into the game is if Bednar is injured and cannot continue the game.

Melvin has become an EBUG legend of sorts, not the least of which being that he’s still an option as an EBUG for teams at 61 years old. Yes, you read that right, 61 years old.

He last appeared in an ECHL game during a four-game stint with the Huntington Blizzard during the 1993-94 season.

However, dating back to 2006-07, Melvin has been called upon as an EBUG by the hometown Idaho Steelheads or their road opponents. The Walleye will become the ninth different ECHL team that he has backed up for in a pinch with the Steelheads being his most frequent “client.”

He has one of the most unique EliteProspects profiles you'll ever see:

This is incredible. Melvin may have one of my favorite @eliteprospects pages I've ever seen. Last played in a game in 1993-94, but now has 20-plus instances of 0 GP in the 30 years since. Walleye will be 9th team he has EBUG'd for https://t.co/sK4uFTbaf3 https://t.co/wPLdbF6NSN pic.twitter.com/bnKzoBSnQW

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) October 26, 2024

In a 2017 story by 100 Degree Hockey, Melvin said he had been in training camp with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1979 and got a few looks with the Boston Bruins in the early 1980s. 

Here’s what he told 100 Degree Hockey in 2017:

"If something happens, I have to be ready to go. I come with the mindset that I’m playing. Sometimes I get the call at 9 in the morning. Sometimes at 3 in the afternoon. You have to be ready to go. I try to stay in shape and prepare, waiting for that kind of call."

"I love it. I would do this all day. For practices, I would stay out there all day. Work your butt off and leave everything out there."

This is an especially unique position for the Walleye, which has been lucky over the years to have their goaltending position be a strength of the team.

Detroit Red Wings first-rounder Sebastian Cossa was one of their goalies two years ago and John Lethemon won the Nick Vitucci Goalie of the Year Award in 2023. This year, they have had Bednar and Gylander, both of whom were drafted by the Red Wings.

Because of the scarcity of the position and the location of where the game is, options are always going to be limited. Yet Melvin has been able to carve out a nice little niche for himself in Boise. Hopefully he gets to keep the jerseys from all the teams he's suited up for because that would be quite a collection.

The EBUG has become a factor even in the NHL. Who could forget David Ayres, a zamboni driver decked out in Toronto Maple Leafs-themed pads, picking up the win for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Leafs in February of 2022. 

It's a major quirk in the game, but it also creates fun stories like that of Ayres and also of Melvin, who might have to be a first-ballot entry in the EBUG Hall of Fame now.

Melvin may have to keep going for a while, though. He still has about eight years to go before he can catch Gordie Howe, who suited up for one shift with the Detroit Vipers in the IHL at 69 years old in 1997.

The Walleye will look to get back on track after losing each of their first two games in Boise Saturday night at 9:10 p.m. ET. You can catch the game right here on FloHockey.

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