WASHINGTON — Trevor Hanger lives a busy life.
Along with having a family, you can find the 42-year-old working as a strategic adviser right here in the District. But during a handful of Washington Capitals home games during a season, he's ready to be an NHL goalie, if need be.
Wait, what? Yes, you are reading that correctly.
They're called emergency backup goalies, also known as EBUGS. Each team in the league has a few — the Caps have four — and the role is used as a worst-case scenario backup option for teams whose goalies become unavailable during a game or leading up to it. The job is typically unpaid, with compensation being two tickets to the game and infinite bragging rights.
But just because he lives in D.C. doesn't mean that Hanger would always play for the Caps. In any of the roughly ten games a season where he is the EBUG, the 42-year-old could play for either team, whether it be the Capitals or their opponent.
Truthfully, Hanger isn't even a fan per se of the Capitals.
Growing up in Connecticut, he was a fan of the Hartford Whalers before they left in the mid-90s. But he does have a great amount of respect for the organization and how it is run on the ice and in the community.
Hanger's story to become an EBUG is a unique one.
After playing collegiate hockey at Yale in the late 90s and early 2000s, Hanger didn't imagine that the rec-league hockey he plays once a week would lead to him being in this position. And it's one that he thanks his brother-in-law for.
“A former teammate of mine who is actually my brother-in-law ... he was a professional goalie for 15-years after he graduated from college," says Trevor Hanger in a phone interview. "[He] now works as a goalie coach for the Caps minor league teams for the AHL and ECHL teams. So when the call went out internally for the Caps to find goalies (EBUGS) who might be a good fit for this, he basically put my name up.”
Part of why Hanger worked out perfectly for the position is because there are parameters that NHL teams must follow in selecting an EBUG. This includes them not being directly a part of an NHL organization and someone that has never played professional hockey. Both of which Hanger fits the criteria for.
While he has not yet been in a game for the Caps, he did have a close call once.
During a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in January 2019, the Caps starting goalie, Braden Holtby, went down with an injury. And as Hanger sat in the stands with his wife, he was contacted by Washington about getting ready to play.
"I was shocked at how nervous I was, to be honest. I think I'm a pretty level headed guy. I've worked in some pressure situations and it's nothing that fazes me necessarily. But getting the rush to go get out of your seat and go to the garage and get your equipment, meeting up with security and personnel who take you to the locker room — all that is happening very quickly in real time. But when you're doing it, it feels like it can't possibly be happening fast enough," said Hanger, who expressed the professionalism and respect that the staff had toward him during the situation they were put in — having to get him to a locker room to get dressed and be ready just in case. He said by then, his nerves were settled.
Even though Hanger didn't get in the game, it was an experience that included him meeting Holtby, who he said was very nice to him. It also at times included him texting both his wife and fellow EBUGS about what he was experiencing, with both sets of messages filled with encouragement.
Hanger said a lot of what happened that night was him sitting and waiting, while he watched the game on a monitor in a utility room in Capital One Arena.
There are 82 games that NHL teams play during the regular season. Hanger only has to be ready to play for an eighth of that — if need be. But like a lot of professional athletes and families across the country, he knows that he's lucky to have a partner that supports his hockey hobby.
On days Hanger is an EBUG or just goes an gets on the ice with friends, he's thankful that he can race home from work, get his gear and go. He says his wife's commitment to feeding the kids, giving them baths and getting them ready a bed alone is something he doesn't take for granted.
And while his kids, ages six and four, are too young to know what he's doing, it is something that he and his wife certainly enjoy chatting about and get a chuckle out of.
"My wife thinks its funny," says Trevor. "And while she knows I take it seriously, she also knows I don't take any self-worth from it. She's amused by it and likes to come to a couple of games a year. She's great to indulge me in this."
Hanger says his favorite parts of being an EBUG for games is having the opportunity to take his kids and wife to the game every once in a while. He also said that getting to see some of the sports cars that NHL players have the luxury of affording when he's gotten private parking in the arena, certainly gives him a cool and unique experience.
So what has Trevor Hanger learned most from being an EBUG?
He says having a greater appreciation of the game has come along with being an EBUG, and along with that, another chance to be in his happy place outside of his average day to day life.
"I love the sport (hockey)," says Hanger. "I've always been so happy on the ice. And so to get an opportunity to stay with it in this way is an incredible privilege. And I'm so lucky to have a chance to do that. I think the sport its self has a lot of unique camaraderie and brotherhood. I think being able to stay near that is just a really nice thing."
A little more about EBUGS
Under rule 5.3 of the National Hockey League, EBUGS can be in the stands or on the bench with players. With warm-up time before getting after it on the ice something that is scarce if they do get in.
The Capitals themselves have had to almost use EBUGS multiple times. Former college goalie and employee of the Caps, Brett Leonhardt, had to suit up for Washington twice.
While Leonhardt was ready to go into the game at a moment's notice, he also had to do his regular job. This included cutting video for the Capitals coaches while he patiently waited to see if his name would be called to go in. The opportunity never came, so he had to keep working.
