Ticket sales rep serves as Panthers’ emergency backup after Luongo injury

The golden era of NHL emergency backup goaltenders continued Friday night when the Florida Panthers called upon one of their account executives to fill in after Roberto Luongo was injured during warmups.

Luongo, who’s now considered day-to-day, was originally scheduled to start the game against the Nashville Predators but an upper-body injury caused James Reimer to get the nod. For most of the first period, Luongo was absent from the bench before returning to take a seat and watch the game.

A short while later, however, Luongo disappeared down the tunnel and the Panthers announced that he would not be returning to the game and that 25-year-old Bobby Segin, a member of their ticket sales staff, would serve as the emergency backup. He was not called upon by head coach Tom Rowe to get in the game, however.

Segin said he was walking around the arena with his sales team when Panthers assistant to the GM Braden Birch called to tell him he would be needed. When asked if he’d be ready to go Saturday, “Absolutely,” was the confident reply.

Segin had previously stood in when needed in practice, but this was the first time the Panthers called upon him in an emergency game situation.

The last time the Panthers were in an EBUG situation, both Luongo and backup Al Montoya were injured during a March 2015 game. A still-visibly injured Montoya returned briefly to the game before exiting again and Luongo re-entered the game to finish the final nine minutes. In all that commotion, goaltending coach Robb Tallas was signed as the emergency backup.

Just last week, Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves got 7.6 seconds of action when he served as the team’s EBUG with Eddie Lack ill and head coach Bill Peters decided to put him in for the waning moments of the game.

Let these continued EBUG situations be a tip for everyone wanting to apply for a job with an NHL organization. If you played goalie at any point in your life, toss it on your resume; you never know when you might be called upon for a bit of overtime work.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy