Scott Foster

Scott Foster: biography

Scott Foster is an accountant and amateur ice hockey player from Canada. In his life, he has even succeeded to perform in one game for the Chicago Blackhawks National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2017-2018 season on an emergency goaltender position after their player got injured.

As a primary occupation, Foster works at Golub Capital, mostly in corporate accounting. His specialties include financial reporting, board reports, mutual fund expenses, short-term investment vehicles, fund fact sheets, mutual fund daily reconciliations, closed-end funds, UCITS, fixed income, high-yield bonds, convertible bonds, and equities.

Childhood and youth

Future star was born on January 17, 1982 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada to a middle-class family. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in accounting.

Playing career

Foster started his hockey career at an early age. So, being a college student, he performed with the Petrolia Jets Western Ontario Hockey League in 2001 and 2002. Shortly after, the sportsman started playing for Western Michigan University's hockey team in the 2002–03, 2003–04, and 2005–06 Central Collegiate Hockey Association seasons. His colleague in 2002-2003 years was Mike Mantua. Foster performed in 21 games to Mantua's 26 and recorded a 7–8–2 record with a .868 save percentage. The next playing year happened to be successful for Foster – he was used as the team's starting goaltender, playing 33 games and recording an .881 percentage. Later games were less lucky for Foster, cause he played only one game in the 2005-06 season, allowing three goals on seven shots in just one period of play.

In March 2018 Foster was offered to sign an amateur contract with the Chicago Blackhawks as their player Anton Forsberg had to miss the match because of severe trauma. Foster agreed and performed for the franchise on March 29, 2018 – they faced the Winnipeg Jets. Later Foster substituted Corey Crawford (who suffered a season-ending concussion) and played on a starting goaltender position. Serving as the Blackhawks' emergency backup goaltender for the game, Foster was not expected to play, considering his lack of high-level experience and the fact that only one goaltender of his kind had suited up for NHL action in recent years: Jorge Alves, who made his seven-second Carolina Hurricanes debut at the end of a game in December 2016.

However, Blackhawks starter Collin Delia suffered an injury and Foster had to save the team. He succeeded to save seven shots out of seven. The sportsman was even named the first emergency goaltender ever to stop a shot (he did in in the first 14 minutes). So, Foster led the franchise to the 6-2 victory. He turned away shots from some of the best scorers in the league: Patrik Laine, Paul Stastny, Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers (twice), Andrew Copp, and Joel Armia.

The situation is pretty strange and unusual, cause Foster has never had such an experience. Generally, he has an accounting degree from Western Michigan University – he is not a professional hockey player. However, it actually happened. Foster actually played 14:01, actually stopped seven shots, actually secured a 6–2 victory. He actually heard the crowd chant his name, over and over, and then actually received first-star honors and a shimmering wrestling belt that the Blackhawks award in-house. The news was on every highlight. Later he conducted an actually hilarious postgame interview, in which Foster was asked about Chicago coach Joel Quenneville laughing upon his entrance. He paused for a moment and nodded. «I think I would too.»

One day later, Foster kept a low profile. Any further interview requests were declined through Blackhawks PR. A spokeswoman for Golub Capital similarly parried attempts to reach his colleagues at the accounting firm, though a receptionist did observe that her phones had been ringing more often than usual that morning.

Despite some people said it was Delia who helped the team win, Foster was named the game's first star. In an interview after the match, Scott noted: «I think I'm just hitting my prime.» Scott Foster was named one of 18 players since 1982 to record a perfect 1.000 save percentage in the league. Although Foster helped the Blackhawks win such a strong opposer, he was not paid for it – according to the rules, amateur players don't get money for their performances. So, Foster received his game-worn jersey but no other compensation.

This isn't to say that emergency goaltenders receive nothing for their time. Foster estimated he's been to 12-15 games as part of NHL's rules that require each team to have an emergency goalie in attendance at home games. Last year when the rule change went into effect, the Kings and Devils held open tryouts to figure out who would fill that role. The Hawks have a group of local emergency goalies they rotate through.

Foster got to attend all of those games for free and got to keep his jersey and gear. He also had an unforgettable experience that can't be replicated. According to him, that match was something that no one could ever take away from him, it was something he could go home and tell his kids, and they could tell their friends.

But beyond the memories that will last a lifetime and a story that'll be a hit at Johnny's IceHouse, Foster didn’t receive any payment for taking the ice and saving the day in front of over 20,000 fans.

Foster is actually the second goalie from his league at Johnny's IceHouse to be signed as an emergency backup for an NHL club. The Los Angeles Kings signed Alec Rounds to be their emergency option back in October—one of four such backups signed after the Kings held a pre-season contest.

Scott Foster was invited to the 2018 NHL Award Ceremony, where he and Jim Belushi presented the Vezina Trophy Pekka Rinne. Several months before, the sportsman himself was named the «Best NHL First» at the Blackhawks Fan Choice Awards.

In the 2018-2019 season, Scott Foster performed as an occasional second goalie for the Blackhawks optional morning skate.

Additionally, Foster also backstops Wight and Co, an A-League team sponsored by a local construction company.

Personal life

Foster lives in Oak Park, Illinois. He previously worked for Aurora Investment Management. After his turn in the NHL, the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel offered to hire him as their "emergency accountant" and hoped to host him at their final home game to conduct the ceremonial puck drop. Foster declined further interviews the next months, preferring to "prioritize his family and work following his NHL stint," even as interview requests came from as far away as Turkey. He agreed to be interviewed by ESPN in April 2019.

As for Foster’s wife and kids, there is no precise information. The sportsman has always preferred to keep in secret his girlfriends and personal life.

Remarkably, that in the world of sport, there is another Scott Foster – a basketball referee (who has a long scandalous story linked with Rockets-Warriors game). He is also known for an affair with a famous actress Laura Prepon. One more Scott Foster is a state farm agent in Conyers, GA. Besides, there was a defensive attorney called Scott Foster who died in a plane crash in 1999.

Career stats

• 1. 2002-2001 season. 28 GP, 18 W, 1667 Min, 63 GA, 2 SO, 2.27 GAA, 0.928 SV%;
• 2. 2002-2003 season. 21 GP, 7 W, 1036 Min, 65 GA, 0 SO, 3.77 GAA, 0.868 SV%;
• 3. 2003-2004 season. 33 GP, 13 W, 1890 Min, 102 GA, 0 SO, 3.24 GAA, 0.881 SV%.

Achievements

In 2018 Foster was honored as he was voted the Best NHL First during the Blackhawks Fan Choice Awards following the 2017-18 season.