TORONTO — Keith Hamilton carried himself like an N.H.L. goaltender even before he made his first save in a pickup game at Moss Park Arena. Standing 6 feet tall — and looking much bigger in skates — he made the net behind him appear to shrink.

But this was hardly the N.H.L. Hamilton, 39, was guarding the cage against a team of middle-age men from an Ontario public utility. He wore a replica Colorado Avalanche jersey. Every other player was differentiated by tones more than colors, turning the sessions into light versus dark, a hockey version of shirts and skins.

After an hourlong scrimmage, Hamilton cut a lonely figure as he skated off the ice. There were no handshakes, no fist bumps. He collected the cash he was promised — the going rate is about 50 Canadian dollars per game — changed out of his gear and drove off to the next arena. This was his third game of the day. He had two to go.

Hamilton is a hockey mercenary, one of the estimated 150 to 200 hired guns in Toronto’s recreation leagues who are in demand as much for their position — goaltender — as for their skills. With 143 indoor publicly owned arenas in the Toronto metropolitan area, there are many more teams than there are available goalies.