The story about the infamous Zamboni driver turned backup goaltender David Ayres will be made into a Disney movie, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Ayres will help write and produce the film, Yahoo! Sports reported on Monday. Ayres became a hockey legend after he took over the goalie position during a 2020 NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Backups James Reimer and Petr Mrazek had both left the game, but Ayres ended up making eight saves on 10 shots to help the Hurricanes win. (RELATED: Zamboni Driver David Ayres Plays Goalie For The Carolina Hurricanes, Beats The Toronto Maple Leafs)
Ayres said James Corden, the host of CBS’ “The Late Late Show,” seemingly helped get the story to Disney, Yahoo! Sports reported.
“I guess his neighbor was a guy who works high up in Disney, and they went for a walk one night,” Ayres recalled. “That’s how the whole Disney thing came about. So, we’ll see what happens. A little slow now with COVID, but once we get the ball rolling, it’ll be fine. Once we start writing it, I think they’ll go two years from there.”
Disney reportedly has attempted to move some of its operations from Burbank to Florida amid the coronavirus pandemic, as California remains more restricted than Florida.
“As the largest employer in Central Florida, we are always exploring opportunities for additional locations within the vicinity of our theme park, but there is nothing concrete,” a Disney spokesperson shared with the Orlando Business Journal.
Ayres called the moment “the time of [his] life” during a post-game press conference.
“It was awesome. Time of my life out there.”
After coming in as the emergency goalie for the @Canes, David Ayres spoke with @SNkylebukauskas about picking up his first @NHL win. pic.twitter.com/pNaxv6z880
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 23, 2020
“It was awesome, it was the time of my life out there,” Ayres said at the time. “I’ve been on this ice many times without fans, but put fans in the mix and it’s a whole different game.”
“Once in a lifetime, I’ll take it,” he added.