Former Sarnia Sting goalie Taylor Dupuis had quite the weekend.
In need of a backup goalie Saturday night, the Toronto Marlies signed the Ryerson Rams netminder to an amateur tryout.
Ryerson was in London Friday night for a game against Western University, and Dupuis made 20 saves to pick up his seventh win of the season.
Dupuis says he found out about the opportunity following the game.
"Coach came in after the game and said to expect a phone call, it's going to be the Leafs or Marlies and they'll need you to play tomorrow," says Dupuis. "That's all he gave me, so for about half hour I'm sitting there wondering if I'll be playing for the Leafs or the Marlies, it seemed like a pretty long 30 minutes."
The Maple Leafs' decided to call up Garret Sparks from the AHL, leaving an opening on the Marlies' rosters.
Dupuis says from there it happened pretty quickly.
Taylor Dupuis on the bench of the Toronto Marlies. submitted photo.
"I got the call that the Marlies' need a back up the next day. They said they needed me for a 10am morning skate, and then be at the rink at 3pm for the game. Pretty straight forward but I was pretty excited to get the opportunity," he says.
Dupuis was reunited with Frank Corrado, a former teammate with the Sudbury Wolves during the 2012-2013 season. He says seeing a familiar face helped him feel comfortable.
"He reached out to me not long after I got the original phone call, said he was looking forward to catching up," says Dupuis. "Going into a dressing room where it's not just 18 to 23 year olds, but now you have older guys as well, it definitely helped to have a common connection already."
After the game, Dupuis says he got a few keepsakes from the team.
"They let me keep the jersey, I got a couple other gifts and some pretty cool stuff. The jersey obviously, you can't put a price on that," he says. "I'll be keeping that for the rest of my life."
He says it was an experience he won't soon forget.
"For something like that to happen in a span of 12 hours, it makes you take a step back and try to soak it all in. I'm definitely fortunate to have an opportunity like that," says Dupuis. "They have my number and I told them my phone's always on, I definitely wouldn't be upset if I get another phone call."
Dupuis played spent two seasons with the Sarnia Sting, winning a combined 33 games for the hockey club.
