Flyers designate Daniel Spencer as EBUG for 2026-27

The Philadelphia Flyers won’t want fans to refer to their press release on Thursday at any point this season, but if the situation arises, the club has announced a full-time Emergency Backup Goalie for the 2026-27 NHL season. 

For the upcoming campaign, the Flyers have named Daniel Spencer as the EBUG, taking on the role in a full-time capacity under the NHL’s new regulations for the position, which are meant to avoid part-time goalies, mostly playing at the university or recreational level, from taking official NHL contracts. 

Spencer is more than familiar with the position, having served as the team’s local EBUG over parts of the past three seasons. In the expanded, full-time role, he will travel and practice with the NHL team, becoming a fully integrated part of the roster, albeit not on an NHL deal. 

The 32-year-old previously played four seasons in NCAA Division II with Finlandia University and, before that, played for Gloucester Catholic High while being coached by Guy Gaudreau, father of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

“[It was a] right place, right time type of thing,” Spencer said in a 2024 interview about how he landed the Flyers’ initial local EBUG role. “I’m super grateful for the connection I have to the Flyers. I had inquired about it. I was like, ‘Hey!’ Once you see everything going on around the league with David Ayres and Scott Foster, I thought, I’m in the area; why can’t that be me?” 

While the Flyers won’t want to turn to him at any point this season, he will be on call when the team opens the regular season against their rival Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 30, which comes after the team’s final two preseason games against the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals on Sept. 24 and Sept. 26.