Eric Semborski

2 NHL Games

December 3, 2016 Chicago Blackhawks vs Philadelphia Flyers. 1-3 loss.
April 1, 2017 Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils. 3-0 win.

      The Chicago Blackhawks were left a goalie short when Corey Crawford had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. With an afternoon game and in Philly, they were unable to recall one of the netminders in their system on time. The hometown Flyers had provided a list of local emergency backups and Eric Semborski was the first guy the Blackhawks were able to secure. Semborski was coaching local hockey when he got the call and rushed to the Hawks as quickly as he could. "It was fast and I couldn't even catch my breath because I was just trying to take it all in," said Semborski, who took shots from the Chicago players during warmups. "Playing against the best guys in the world, I knew I wasn't going to stop most of them. I was lucky if it hit me." (1)

     April 1, 2017 the Philadelphia Flyers were without goalie Steve Mason due to an illness. Backup Michal Neuvirth was given the start but he himself was feeling under the weather. Not longer after the game began Neuvirth collapsed and was taken to the hospital forcing Anthony Stolarz to take over the crease. Enter local youth hockey coach Eric Semborski, who had been called in as an emergency goalie for the visiting Chicago Blackhawks just a couple months earlier. Semborski was quickly dressed and sat on the bench as Philly's backup goalie for the remaining two periods. In the last 30 seconds of the third, Semborski was put in net by Philly coach Dave Hakstol. Unfortunately for Semborski and fans, the referee working the game was a killjoy and refused to drop the puck until Stolarz was put back in net, citing it was against the rules. The fans were right to boo the ref as the Carolina Hurricanes had successfully put another emergency backup, Jorges Alves, in net to end a game earlier in the same season. Even though Semborski was robbed of an NHL dream, he still accomplished something special in dressing with two different NHL teams in one season.

"Both the Flyers and Blackhawks are wold class organizations. They treated me with the upmost respect," said Semborski. "Being apart of those teams and interacting with the players in something I will never forget."   

• Wore #50 with Chicago Blackhawks
• Wore #49 with Philadelphia Flyers

Career stats from Eliteprospects.com 

2010-11  Jersey Wildcats (CHA Jr. B)  CHA Jr. B29 4.98 .884 |         

2011-12  Temple Univ.                      ACHA II2     3.83 .875 |         

2012-13  Temple Univ.                      ACHA II11   3.01 .889 |        

2013-14  Temple Univ.                      ACHA II5     3.16 .869 |      

2014-15  Temple Univ.                      ACHA II22   3.78 .893 |         

2016-17  Chicago Blackhawks           NHL             0 - - |   
(1) Adam Kimelman, NHL.com. Dec. 3, 2016. https://www.nhl.com/news/eric-semborski-blackhawks-emergency-backup-goalie/c-284354006