Woodsworth student experiences surreal opportunity with Maple Leafs for Hockey Night!

In the span of one day, Alex Bishop went from studying for midterms to acting as backup goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a Woodsworth student in the Rotman Commerce program, Bishop tends the net for the UofT Varsity Blues hockey team. 

He got the opportunity of a lifetime to dress for his hometown Maple Leafs team on Saturday. After the Leafs backup Petr Mrazek suffered a torn groin muscle on Thursday, the team was unable to call a replacement up from the AHL Marlies due to salary cap limits. Instead, they signed a one-day amateur-tryout contract with Bishop to serve as emergency backup goaltender. 

Bishop was not called on to return for Toronto’s next game with the Senators but enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

In an interview by the Globe and Mail, he said, “It is not lost on me that this is a rare opportunity [...]I realize I am pretty lucky.”

Best of luck to Bishop for the rest of his hockey games and exams! 

Image Credit: TSN