Thursday, December 16, 2010

Coyotes Sign Amateur Fenton To Back Up In Emergency Scenario Against Rangers

If you started today having no idea who Tom Fenton was, then join the club, but by the end of Thursday he will be one of the most researched names in the world for this day at least.  Tom Fenton, who works in the community relations department at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. would sign a pro contract with the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday to be their backup goaltender when they took on the Rangers in Madison Square Garden Thursday night.  

The reason the  Coyotes had to do something like this was their regular starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov came down with the flu and being that they were on the east coast and had no chance to fly in a call up from their system they needed someone who was local and that all leads to Tom Fenton.

Tom Fenton a 26 year old who never turned pro, which made him eligible for this kind of move and played four years of hockey at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts with his final season coming in 2008-09. In that final year Fenton compiled a 1-12-1 record, a 3.60 goals-against average and .886 save percentage as a senior.  Having not played an organized game since he would spend the night sitting on the bench in an NHL uniform, what a change a few hours can make.

Fenton would not see any action in the game, but he would see plenty of cameras and interviews asking him about the world wind day he had been through.  What a day for Tom Fenton.  Just goes to show anything can happen.