For games with big crowds, Ottawa Senators fans usually have to wait patiently to get to the Canadian Tire Center parking lot.
While missing a few minutes might not be the end of the world for many watching the game, for Zach Dietz, that wasn’t an option Saturday night.
The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees goaltender was one of the Senators’ (EBUG) emergency backup goaltenders and was told more than an hour before puck drop that he would be needed soon because Anton Forsberg was injured.
There was just one problem: Dietz and his girlfriend, Charlie Healy, were stuck in traffic before a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Due to time constraints, Dietz got out of the car, carried his equipment bag and started running. The video later went viral on social media.
“I was going to miss the warm-up because of traffic and stuff, but I was talking to (Healey) and I said, ‘If I can just jump out of the car and run, I can get there faster than if I stay in the car,'” ” Dietz told Bruce Garrioch Ottawa Post Media on Sunday.
“We both agreed that if I wanted to get there as quickly as possible, we had to do whatever we could to get there as soon as possible. She’s a hockey fan like me, and she plays for the University of Ottawa women’s team, so she said, ‘Hey, get there as soon as possible, I’d jump in the driver’s seat. “We had just changed. I parked the car, she jumped in from the passenger seat and I grabbed my gear and started running.”
“I could see the building, so I thought I’d keep walking until I got there before her, or she caught up to me.”
Dietz said some friendly drivers near the arena helped him out after he started running.
“When I jumped out of the car, I was passing cars because they were blocked,” he said. “They weren’t moving at all.” When I reached the top of the hill, a couple in a black SUV were looking at me. , because it’s weird to see someone running with goalie gear.
“As I got closer, I started walking because my legs were tired from running up the hill. They asked me if I was going to play and I said I was the emergency backup goalie and I was trying to get to the ice because I had to go for the puck. The team got dressed.
“They told me to jump in right away. I went in with them and three minutes later they brought me to the rink because the traffic was clearing. They were the savior of the game because it helped a lot because my My girlfriend didn’t get there until the puck dropped and I got there before warmups were over.”
When Dietz arrived, he signed a professional tryout contract. The equipment staff made him a jersey with his name on it, and he watched the game from deep inside the arena.
Dietz proved not to be needed in the game, as Linus Ullmark helped the Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime.
“I’m more excited than nervous,” Dietz said. “The whole story shocked me. It became surreal when I saw an NHL jersey with my last name on it.”
