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David Ayres might be the best-kept secret in Toronto goaltending, but finally had his day in the sun.

The 42-year-old arena maintenance man/Zamboni driver was the second goalie the Leafs used at Thursday’s outdoor practice at City Hall with Michael Hutchinson, while wisely sparing Frederik Andersen more acrobatics after a busy game the previous night.

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Ayres has been filling in when needed for the Leafs and the farm team Marlies the past eight years and hung around Scotiabank Arena on NHL game nights the past three years as the emergency goalie.

Leafs officials have not wished to make him a story angle, however Thursday’s huge community event was different, the most people Ayres has played in front of, other than getting the call to back Jonathan Bernier a few years ago in Rochester on the latter’s AHL conditioning stint.

“I started working at Ricoh Coliseum during the last lockout, a couple of guys were hurt, I ended up bringing my gear in and they said ‘hey, you’re pretty decent,” Ayres recalled.