Have you ever heard of Joe Schaefer, a Long Island native who was an EBUG (emergency backup goaltender) for the Rangers before EBUGs existed in the NHL?
When the league was more like a family business, teams had a “house goalie.” A house goaltender, often an employee of the team, watches the game from the stands (or press box) in case either team's goaltender suffers an injury severe enough to require him to leave the game. I was doing it.
Until the mid-to-late 1960s, NHL teams did not have two goaltenders. The only goalie was the No. 1 goalie. The Maple Leafs and Blackhawks started the trend of two-goaltender rotations in 1964-1965. Toronto brought in the legendary Terry Sawchuk to be one half of the duo with Johnny Bower, and Chicago brought in Dennis DeJordi to pair with the legendary Glenn Hall. .
The Rangers first implemented a two-goalie system during Eddie Giacomin's rookie season in 1965-66. He first shared the net with Cesare Maniago before the Rangers were relegated to AHL Baltimore in first place. The team also selected veteran Don Simmons as a backup, and the longtime Bruins netminder remained Giacomin's backup for the next two seasons, playing five games in '67-'68 and playing two games the following season. He started the game.
