Losing your passport is never a good thing, but it's even worse when you are getting called up to play in the National Hockey League. Casey DeSmith, a Pittsburgh Penguins minor league goalie, got the all-important call up to the big leagues, but missed the opportunity due to a misplaced document, according to the Associated Press.
DeSmith was asked to join the Penguins from the franchise's AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton squad in their game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The Pens wanted to give goalie Tristan Jarry some rest.
Over the last two years, DeSmith has played 50 games with the Penguins, but this time it didn't work out. Without a passport, he of course could not make it to Montreal so the team had to call up the next guy.
I'm sure DeSmith was searching and yelling, "My passport is always right here! It's always right here!" Hopefully he tracks it down and keeps it in a safer place for an easy find next time.
The team instead called up ECHL Wheeling goalie Emil Larmi as a backup for Matt Murray. The 23-year-old Finnish goalie has never made an appearance in an NHL game. This is his first season in North America and in his time with Wheeling he is 3-1-0 with 1.51 goals-against average.
The Penguins beat the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime, and the Penguins now have a 25-12-5 record after their Sunday loss to the Florida Panthers. On Tuesday, the Penguins will play the Los Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.
