FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Panthers appear to have found their first full-time Emergency Backup Goalie, tapping 25-year-old former college netminder Noah Altman for a role that the NHL now requires every team to carry throughout the season, Florida Hockey Now reported.
Although the Panthers have not made a formal announcement, Altman was spotted skating with injured players Brad Marchand and Jonas Gadjovich at practice Thursday and Friday, wearing the No. 00 jersey all EBUGs are required to wear this season. If Altman were ever called into a game - which would require both Florida goalies to be unable to continue - he would be the first Panthers player to wear the double-zero.
A Los Angeles native, Altman played prep hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota, the same program that produced Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Nathan MacKinnon, and Macklin Celebrini. He went on to Quinnipiac University, where he served as an assistant captain, appeared in seven games with the Bobcats, and was part of their 2023 national championship team. After graduating, he took a job as a production assistant at ESPN in Connecticut before landing with the Panthers.
Under the new NHL rule, Altman cannot have played more than 80 professional games to be eligible as an EBUG - a threshold he clears easily, having no professional playing experience. The rule also bars anyone who has previously appeared in an NHL game, which would disqualify former Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo.
The EBUG requirement has its roots in a chaotic 2015 game in Fort Lauderdale between the Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Luongo left after the first period with a shoulder injury, and backup Al Montoya took over - only to suffer a groin injury in the third period attempting to stop a Nazem Kadri goal. With Luongo having already left the arena to drive to Cleveland Clinic in Weston, coach Gerard Galant and general manager Dale Tallon scrambled for options. Fourth-line center Derek MacKenzie suited up in goalie gear, and goalie coach Robb Tallas - who had not played an NHL game in 14 years - was prepared to sign a one-game contract. Luongo ultimately heard the situation unfold on his car radio and returned to the arena to finish the game.
Days later, the Panthers turned the episode into a publicity event, holding an open casting call that drew more than 1,500 applicants. The team selected 60 to face shots from alumni including Radek Dvorak, Marco Sturm, and John Madden. Among those who tried out: ESPN SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn.
The most notable EBUG in recent memory was Zach Andrews, a 31-year-old accountant from Coral Springs who signed a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023 to back up their net during a game against the Panthers in Sunrise after backup Alex Stalock was too ill to dress.
The Panthers open their preseason Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m., with the 2026-27 regular season beginning Sept. 29 at Carolina at 5 p.m. on ESPN. The home opener against the Minnesota Wild is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.