The dream turned real, it often proved remarkable and it will rest delightfully in Jeff Barney's memory forever.
After a quarter century of serving as an emergency backup goaltender for the Alaska Aces and the franchise's predecessor, the ECHL hockey club honored Barney in its season finale by giving him his first start – first action, actually – in professional pucks.
And Jeff Barney came through big on "Jeff Barney Night.''
Sure, the Aces lost 5-3 to the Colorado Eagles at Sullivan Arena. But Barney, a 45-year-old from Anchorage who is executive director of Fur Rendezvous, acquitted himself well before an announced sellout crowd of 6,251 at Sullivan Arena.
Barney stopped 21 of 25 shots – Jesse Mychan's insurance goal for Colorado in the waning seconds came with Barney on the bench in favor of an extra attacker – and delivered quality saves.
Barney stopped all 14 shots he faced in the first period, and his first save was especially comforting because he was concerned about surrendering a goal on the initial shot he encountered.
"It was nice to get the first save,'' he said while signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans afterward. "That was my biggest worry.''
Of the four goals Barney gave up, only one was truly a groaner. Kyle Ostrow's shot from just above the goal line beat Barney to the short side in the second period, when Colorado scored four times.
The first of Colorado Eagles defenseman Collin Bowman's two goals was a laser from the left point that hit iron and banked in. Bowman's 31 goals in 96 games the last two seasons represent tremendous production from a blueliner, and he's beaten plenty of masked men who make their living stopping the puck.
"No one's going to stop that, not off the post and after going through about eight screens,'' said Aces coach Rob Murray.
Bowman's second goal was a deflection over Barney's shoulder – nice goal. And Teigan Zahn's one-timer past Barney came on the power play.
"I didn't have expectations, but he did a great job for a 45-year-old taking pro shots,'' said Aces managing member Terry Parks.
Barney endured a couple of bobbles. He left his crease at one point, which negated what would have been an icing call against the Eagles. And he played the puck behind the goal line and outside the trapezoid, which dinged him with a delay of game penalty that the Aces killed. Just quibbles, those.
On the bench, backup Jacob DeSerres served as Barney's head cheerleader.
"He talked me through it in the first period, said to keep on battling,'' Barney said.
Ryan Trenz, the Aces' 24-year-old rookie defenseman fresh out of Northern Michigan University and playing just his seventh pro game, said the experience was exhilarating.
"Any time a guy like that gets a chance, it brings energy into the room, an extra level of compete,'' Trenz said. "Every save, everybody (on the bench) was making noise, cheering for him.''
The Aces were in the game all night thanks to Justin Breton's first-period goal to open the scoring, Peter Sivak's second-period goal to forge a 2-2 tie and Marc-Andre Levesque's third-period, power-play goal to pull the Aces within one goal at 4-3.
Barney in the first period reached behind himself with his stick to stop Tyler Fiddler's bid from the left circle. He got his left pad on Darryl Bootland's bid when Bootland blew in off the left wing. And he snuffed Mychan, Colorado's leading goal scorer with 32, on a point-blank, power-play rebound.
Barney said he began cramping in the second period – he said his hand cramped on his first postgame autograph too -- and hinted to DeSerres that DeSerres could take over for the third period. No dice.
"I don't think he was having any of it,'' Barney said with a grin.
Trenz said the players on the bench noticed that, beginning in the second period, Barney would shake out his fatigued legs occasionally when the puck was at the other end of the ice.
And Breton mused that a full game of professional goaltending is likely to exact a toll.
"He'll be a little sore tomorrow,'' Breton said. "He'll sleep good tonight. I can guarantee that.''
While the Aces (27-38-7) long ago were eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight season, Colorado's win combined with Idaho's regulation loss to Missouri to earn the Eagles (41-27-4) the West Division crown.
That's bookkeeping. Saturday night was more about emotion. Ocassional chants of "Barney! Barney! Barney!'' erupted. And the packed house roared every time he stopped the puck.
"It was a great night for him, and everyone,'' Murray said. "Obviously, a win would have been nice. But it was a special night.''
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Colorado 0 4 1 5
Aces 1 1 1 3
First Period – 1, Aces, Breton 23 (Babinski, Hunt), 12:59. Penalties – Hunt, Aces (roughing), 14:52; Cecere, Aces (helmet violation), 17:26.
Second Period – 2, Colorado, Bowman 15 (Zahn, Fiddler), 2:37; 3, Colorado, Ostrow 14 (Nyren), 4:58; 4, Aces, Sivak 22 (Perfetto), 7:19; 5, Colorado, Bowman 16 (Daavettila, Gogol), 16:02; 6, Colorado, Zahn 4 (Zimmerman, Ostrow), 19:56 (pp). Penalties – Breton, Aces (tripping), :17; Nyren, Colorado (holding), 11:14; Barney, Aces, served by Poulin (delay of game, played puck outside trapezoid), 11:27; Wamsganz, Aces (slashing), 13:55; Cecere, Aces (cross-checking), 18:35; Wellar, Aces (slashing), 18:35; Bowman, Colorado (slashing), 18:35.
Third Period – 7, Aces, Levesque 3 (Sivak, Perfetto), 6:14 (pp); 8, Colorado, Mychan 32, 19:55 (en). Penalties – Zahn, Colorado (interference), 6:00; Boe, Colorado (interference), 14:22; Fiddler, Colorado (hooking), 17:10; Breton, Aces (slashing), 18:39; Gogol, Colorado (slashing), 18:39.
Shots on goal – Colorado 14-8-4—26. Aces 6-11-11—28.
Power-play Opportunities – Colorado 1 of 6. Aces 1 of 4.
Goalies – Colorado, Lazaruk, 13-6-3 (28 shots-26 saves). Aces, Barney, 0-1-0 (25-21).
A – 6,251. T – 2:28.
Referee – Michael Sheehan. Linesmen – Scott Sivulich, Steve Glines.