Konin serves as emergency backup for Blues in Tampa Bay

Every Thursday morning, goalie Kyle Konin skates with a handful of retired Tampa Bay Lightning players, but that's as close as he's come to being in the NHL.
That changed on Thursday night.
As (bad) luck would have it, Blues goalie
Jordan Binnington tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday
morning, and Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong did not have the salary cap space available to recall a backup goalie from the Springfield Thunderbirds for the game, so Konin - Tampa Bay's emergency backup goaltender - was on the bench to serve as the backup for the Blues when they met the Lightning on Thursday night at Amalie Arena (6 p.m. CT, BSMW, 101 ESPN).

"I'm definitely excited, I don't think I've gotten settled down," Konin told stlouisblues.com. "I came home (from today's skate), I've been airing out my gear and then I'm turning right back around to go to the rink.
"It's really cool, it's what you dream of as a kid every day," Konin added. "For one night at least, I get to live (being in the NHL) with my family and friends. My close family is going to buy tickets and come to the game. It almost feels like how you see on TV when someone makes their NHL debut and their whole family goes to the game, that's kind of what this is feeling like right now."
Konin, 23, played two seasons of junior hockey for the New Hampshire Avalanche and the Vermont Lumberjacks of the Eastern Hockey League. After a semester of college hockey with Grand Valley State University, Konin opened a custom airbrushing and goalie mask design business called Nujax Airbrush.

"I've always been into art, and I've always been a goalie, so I kind of combined the two," Konin said. "I started doing my own helmets, then some for my friends, then friends of friends, and it grew into a business."
Because he skates with former Lightning players like Dwayne Roloson, Mathieu Garon, Filip Kuba and former Blue Glen Metropolit, Konin was asked if he was interested in joining the emergency backup goaltender program in Tampa Bay. The program allows for one local goalie to receive two tickets to every NHL home game and dress for either of the two teams playing that night in case of an emergency.
After speaking with Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois on Thursday morning, Konin then was asked by Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong and Head Coach Craig Berube to serve as the backup on Thursday night.
"I gotta be honest, I really haven't felt any pressure because it's such a fun time - not that I should feel pressure. My job is to help out and make sure if something does go wrong, I'm there to help," Konin said. "(Doug and Craig) were just genuine, nice, down-to-earth guys. They're joking around with me, having a good time. It makes the experience really comforting for me, to walk into the room when they're just hoping I have a good experience."
When it's all said and done, Konin will look back and cherish the moment. Right now, though, he's just trying to not get caught up in the whirlwind of the day.
"It's crazy. I've had to keep my phone plugged in because everyone in my contact list has texted or called," Konin said. "My friends and family are freaking out because we don't get to live this every day. It's pretty crazy, but it's been cool."