SUNRISE, Fla. — In front of a raucous crowd at the BB&T Center, NHL dreamers Bill Ruggiero and Dustin Smith both came away victorious as the Florida Panthers "Goal of a Lifetime" contest ended in a tie.

During the first intermission of Florida’s matchup with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, Ruggiero and Smith alternated facing shots from ex-Panthers Marco Sturm and Radek Dvorak.

In the end, each made three saves on four attempts and were declared co-winners.

"You know what, it’s great," said Ruggiero, a resident of Melbourne Beach, Fla. "We were both kind of confused for about five minutes. We didn’t really know what was going on, but if you really think about it, it’s better for the organization to have two guys that could potentially practice if they need. It’s better for us."

As a result, both Ruggiero and Smith will sign one-day contracts with the Panthers and participate in the team’s practice Wednesday as honorary backup goaltenders.

"Obviously we’re friends now out of this," Ruggiero said, gesturing toward Smith. "We were competing but we were on the same level. We got to the rink yesterday and today. No complaints at all."

Ruggiero, 34, is a former semi-pro goaltender whose resume reads longer than most current NHL players. After a brief stint with the OHL’s London Knights, Ruggiero’s passion for pucks landed him in numerous professional and minor leagues over several years, including the QMJHL, NAHL, ECHL, CHL UHL, IHL and AAHL.

"It’s definitely a dream come true to be recognized like this," said Ruggiero, wearing a custom Panthers jersey. "We both love the game and the position so much. To come together like this was a lot of fun."

Ruggiero’s sister, Angela, is a gold medalist and U.S. women’s Olympic hockey legend. In 2005, the siblings made history as the first brother-sister tandem to play professionally at the same time with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.

Angela was in attendance Tuesday night to cheer on her brother.

"Me playing goal and her playing defense, we’re best friends in that aspect," Ruggiero said of his sister. "She told me to just relax, have fun and do what you can."

Smith, 27, played collegiate hockey at Middle Tennessee State University from 2006-2009 and got a taste of NHL action when he practiced with the Nashville Predators during the lockout.

"It was so much fun, being on the ice and being able to try out," said Smith, a resident of Nashville, Tenn. "Obviously exhausting, they put us through the ringer. Today, during the shootout, [there was] so much energy — huge crowd. It was over pretty quick, but a lot of fun and obviously a great experience came out of it."

As for who the victorious duo is looking most forward to facing during Wednesday’s practice, the new friends were in agreement.

"I think we both agreed (Jaromir) Jagr would be a good guy to play with," Smith said.

Added Ruggiero: "Jagr, that’s childhood hero there. He’s still going strong and a lot of respect there for sure."

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