With a depleted lineup, University of Michigan uses goalie as a forward

Well, that’s a new one.

With an illness creating havoc in the lineup, the University of Michigan had to use third-string goaltender Tyler Shea as a left winger to help fill out the roster against the University of Minnesota on Thursday.

Minnesota easily won the game 5-2, with Shea serving a delay of game penalty after the Wolverines were late to the ice to start the third period. Once the penalty was over, he rushed to the bench and didn’t play again.

Shea, 21, is a freshman with Michigan after spending last year in the BCHL with the Wenatchee Wild. He hasn’t played for Michigan in net yet this season, meaning his college debut… was as a forward.

We’ve heard players move from skater to goaltender in the past – Connor Crisp, a former OHLer, was forced to play as an emergency goaltender for the Erie Otters back in 2012, losing 13-4. But this is a rare moment in high-level hockey to see a goaltender forced into a forward position.