Hurricanes sign equipment manager to back up Cam Ward

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Carolina Hurricanes have signed equipment manager Jorge Alves to a professional tryout contract to be the backup goaltender for Saturday night’s game at Tampa Bay.

Eddie Lack, the regular backup to Cam Ward, is ill and unavailable.

Alves, 37, has been one of Carolina’s full-time equipment managers since the 2012-13 season and practices with the team on a regular basis. He played on North Carolina State University’s club hockey team for the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons and had several short stints in the ECHL and Southern Professional Hockey League.

Alves moved to Raleigh in 2001 following four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and has been with Carolina’s equipment staff since 2003-04.

The Hurricanes had Alves lead the team onto the ice for warmups, letting him skate around the Carolina zone in his No. 40 jersey by himself before joining him.

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