In Dreams

NHL | TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS | SAN JOSE SHARKS

“He was f***ing incredible”: Maple Leafs’ Wesley on playing against husband

TSN.ca Staff

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Sharks victory last night will be one to remember for their unlikely hero, emergency back-up goalie Jamie Canning – husband of star Maple Leafs forward Ryan Wesley. The game made history, being the first time a married couple has played in an NHL game, and facing each other across the ice on opposing teams, at that.

“I was sitting there in the opponents jersey thinking, ‘Wes is going to kill me’,” said Canning. “I hoped that I would just have to sit there and open the bench door for the line changes. And I’d never had better seats for one of Wes’s games.”

It was a few minutes into the third period that 25-year-old Canning, a Toronto major junior hockey coach, was called into action for San Jose, tasked with facing a Leafs team where his husband started as a rookie almost three years ago. Canning, originally from California’s Marin County, came away with a 4-3 victory for the Sharks in his NHL debut, shutting Toronto out for the duration of his shift in net.

“He was f***ing incredible”, said Wesley. “We didn’t know who the back-up’s back-up was going to be until he was announced and skated onto the ice. At first I didn’t know what was happening. Watching my teammates playing against my own husband was so f***ing trippy.”

Once a prospect for the Detroit Red Wings, Jamie Canning was a formidable college goaltender in his senior year at Rainier when they clinched a spot in the Frozen Four. His Tigers were eliminated in the semifinals, but Wesley’s own Northern Mass went on to win the NCAA championship that year. Despite playing in the same tournament, the two never faced off against each other.

Until now. Injuries meant that Canning, who was already at the arena to cheer the Leafs on with his family, was asked to dress as a last-resort back-up for the now-starting goaltender Tim Pitti. A pile-up on the 101 meant that a back up goalie from AHL-affiliate San Jose Barracuda would not make the arena in time for the puck drop.

“I am on the emergency back-up list for the league, but nobody ever gets called,” said Canning, who wore number 33 for the game. “Every now and then you hear stories about an accountant who gets called up to play one period for the Rangers or the Kings, but those are practically fables, rare situations that allow an everyday Joe to live out his professional athlete dreams. I couldn’t say no.”

After the second intermission, Sharks netminder Tim Pitti was levelled following a punishing hit by two Maple Leafs’ forwards, and Canning answered the bell. Toronto had led 3-1 after the first two periods, but Canning made saves on every shot the Leafs fired on him, allowing the Sharks to come back with three more goals of their own.

“Look at J-Bomb go!”, forward Blake Riley was heard to shout from the Maple Leafs’ bench. Riley is close to the pair, who he has dubbed ‘Wesmie’, and is romantically involved with Canning’s sister Jessica.

The moment when the husbands came face-to-face arrived with five minutes left on the clock. Wesley found himself on a breakaway, charging towards where his other half stood guard. Some say that they had seen Canning stick his tongue out at Wesley when his glove closed around the puck, denying him the goal.

Toronto was not able to tie up the game.

“Of course I’m disappointed that we didn’t win”, said Wesley. “But I can’t deny that I’m happy for Jamie. He deserves it.”

After the defeat, Wesley’s teammates are understood to not hold any ill feelings towards Canning, who has proudly been called a member of the Maple Leafs’ family ever since their relationship was revealed two years ago.

Said Toronto forward Matt Eriksson, “When I heard that Canning was headed into the Shark’s net, I thought ‘s***, this is going to be epic’, and he was.”

Wesley and a few Leafs were seen graciously celebrating with Canning and his new teammates at a local San Jose bar after the game. Wesley had been told, “you can have your goalie back after we buy him a drink.”

“He saved our butts tonight,” said Nik Sokolav, San Jose’s star forward. “It was a big surprise to us in our locker room when we figured out who he was. I thought, ‘no f***ing way is this guy going to be our back-up goalie, he’s just going to hand the game to Ryan Wesley’. But he said nothing would make him happier than to kick his hubby’s a**, and I guess he did.”

A correspondent for TSN reports that Tim Pitti, seen at the bar with his arm in a sling, bought a round of drinks for both teams. Said Wesley, “we lent you Toronto’s best goalie coach. It’s time to pay up.”

Canning will return to Toronto this weekend where his major junior team will play their game against Niagara. In spite of his dedication to his coaching career, Canning is rumored to be a target for the Ottawa Senators, who are looking to bolster their goaltender ranks.

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