When you’re a long-time hockey fan, especially at the NHL level, you see some crazy, sometimes creative stuff. Goals scored off the netting over the boards. Center-ice shots that sneak past the goaltender. Even players scoring on their own net on a delayed power play. But this attempted play by Belfast Giants player Patrick Dwyer must take the cake. It has been dubbed the “pants goal”, and for good reason.
Dwyer is a 35 year-old former NHL player, with a 14-year professional career, playing parts of seven season with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Giants, of the EIHL, were playing against Milton Keynes Lightning, and had a commanding 4-0 lead. Regardless of this, the team was still pushing as if they were tied. Dwyer, as the net-front guy, screened the goaltender as teammate Darcy Murphy shot from the right circle. He tried to move out of the way at the last second, but the puck became lodged in his jersey above his pants.
Pucks getting caught in player equipment is nothing new. We’ve even seen goalies score on their own teams unknowingly because the puck was caught in their skate or pants. But knowing that the puck was stuck and play wasn’t dead, Dwyer tried something no one has seen before.
Was @pattydwyer39’s effort the greatest @BelfastGiants goal never scored? @officialEIHL @wyshynski @sroarke_nhl @kfraserthecall pic.twitter.com/XIsk72uwbX
— Belfast Giants TV (@belfastgiantstv) October 6, 2018
With the puck still lodged in his jersey, Dwyer backed into the net, butt first, and camped out there attempting a “pants goal”. It took everyone on the ice a moment to realize what was happening and where the puck was. Ultimately, the officials disallowed the goal, citing that they intended to blow the play dead before Dwyer was in the net. The pants goal officially did not count.
In retrospect, the Giants didn’t really need Dwyer’s pants goal; they ended up winning handily 7-0. Dwyer talked about his creative attempted goal after the game.
“It was one of those that got stuck in my pants and when I realized, I figured I’d back myself into the net and get the puck in there and see what happens.
“Unfortunately, it was a ruling where they said the puck was dead in their minds before it went into the net. It would have been cool to tell that story the rest of my life, but it was fun and it was a good laugh on the bench.”
It’s a goal the likes of which some people might never see attempted again, even if it didn’t count on the score card. Do you think the pants goal should have counted?
