Scott Hughes is the kind of man who likes to be in bed by 9 p.m. — such is usually the restful existence of a goalie equipment rep.



The nights are often uneventful, but even at home in sleepy Oxford, Mich., Hughes’ instincts must have sensed that something was askew.



He’d been unable to nod off and laid in bed, scrolling through his phone around 10:30 when he saw the news: The Toronto Maple Leafs had announced a late-night deal for Los Angeles Kings backup goaltender Jack Campbell.



Any hope for rest was done. The trade deadline loomed; busy season was starting.



Hughes knew the measure of the Leafs’ new man better than anyone. Campbell was his goalie. As a pro service rep for Vaughn Hockey, Hughes had fit Campbell with gear for nearly a decade.



He knew his specifics by heart. That Campbell’s pads were exactly 34.45 inches. That he liked his chest protector well-worn, and rarely switched to a new one, but that he...