When Jeff Barney turned 45 last week, the ECHL's Alaska Aces decided to give him a birthday present: His first start, and first action, in a real game.
After all, the youth hockey coach and executive director of a winter festival in Alaska had served as the Aces' emergency goalie in practices for a quarter of a century.
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What better reward, then, but to put him on the ice for the team's season finale Saturday night vs.