Foster is one of a small group of ‘‘emergency backup’’ goaltenders who are kept on hand, usually in the press box or the stands, in the highly unlikely event both regular goalies on the roster are hurt or otherwise unavailable.

It is ‘‘among hockey’s great quirks,’’ as Hockey News put it, ‘‘is that it’s the only pro sport with the potential for someone not on the roster to come out of the stands and actually play in the game.’’ But, ‘‘it takes a very rare set of circumstances to open that door . . .’’

…Foster was an impenetrable wall, stopping all seven of the shots he faced, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

In the 14 minutes and one second that Foster played, the Internet went wild.

His spotless performance stunned fans, with Sun-Times reporter Satchel Price tweeting an all-caps reminder that Foster had ‘‘NEVER PLAYED PRO HOCKEY.’’

36-year-old accountant with no NHL experience stars in Blackhawks win

What an amazing thing, a true Cinderella story!