A Vending Machine Worker Was the Blues' Emergency Backup Goalie

A Blues season-ticket holder got a special seat upgrade ahead of watching St. Louis take on the Dallas Stars on Thursday—and taking a few pucks to the chin in an NHL warmup was all it cost.

Tyler Stewart, a vending machine worker in St. Louis, inked a tryout contract with the team after current Blues backup Carter Hutton suffered a lower-body injury during the morning skate and AHL call-up Ville Husso couldn't arrive at the arena from San Antonio before opening puck drop.

Stewart, who apparently brings his equipment to every game he attends "just in case there's an injury," got to participate in the pregame warmup and took some shots from the team he grew up watching, before making his way down the tunnel to watch the first period in full gear from the dressing room. When Husso finally showed up just before the end of the first frame, Stewart was sent back to his seats to watch the rest of the game with his wife and mom, according to the Associated Press.

He got to listen to head coach Mike Yeo's pregame speech, and also reportedly had an interesting engagement with a couple of the team's star forwards:

The 25-year-old played club hockey at St. Louis University and now attends graduate school at Maryville University while playing in a recreational adult league. He got the call from the Blues just moments after finishing up a shift for the vending company he works for.

Stewart is now (probably) the frontrunner to fill the Edmonton Oilers' backup goalie position.