Alter Ego
Lutz takes a break from practice to snap a selfie with star forward T . J . Oshie .
Lutz has been a member of the PGA since 2007 and has served in his current role since 2014 . The Florida Southern graduate previously worked at South Riding Golf Club , Old Hickory Golf Club , and Army Navy Country Club , all in the Northern Virginia market . He also serves as a regional sales representative for FlightScope .
The EBUG position gained fame this past season when an accountant named Scott Foster starred in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks , playing the final 14 minutes and stopping all seven shots on goal to preserve the Hawks ’ 6-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets .
Following Foster ’ s remarkable success , there was a frenzy to find out who was on the EBUG list for the Caps , but the organization withheld that information from the public to ensure the privacy of the four names on the list . Unbeknownst even to many Raspberry Falls members , their GM was one of the prestigious four .
Although none of the Capitals ’ emergency backups saw game action , the golf professional signed a contract obligating him to attend 12 games and sit in the stands with the notion that he could get the call down to the ice in Capital One Arena in front of thousands of spectators .
“ I park in the players lot in the basement of the arena , I have my gear ready to go ,” Lutz said , “ the team has my cell number , and they would text me if there was an emergency situation , I would have to go to a certain location in the building , they would walk me down to my car to get my equipment , go into the locker room and get dressed .”
The contract is with the NHL rather than the Capitals , meaning Lutz could suit up for the home or away team in an emergency situation . The league requires at least one
“ My first year as an emergency backup goalie and they won the Cup .”
— Willy Lutz emergency backup to be in the stands for every game , as they do not permit position players to dress as goalies . The contract mandates that the EBUG be a lifelong amateur , meaning accountants and golf professionals get their shot at fame .
A FOOT IN THE CREASE Lutz first got his foot in the door with the team through a friend , Mark Nemish , who has been the Caps ’ strength and conditioning coach for 11 years . Nemish , who spent six seasons as the strength coach for the Nashville Predators before moving to Virginia , is an avid golfer and a regular at Raspberry Falls .
Nemish first asked Lutz to help with the Capitals in January 2016 by serving as a goaltender for players on injured reserve who were ready to get shots on goal . Lutz ’ s first assignment was assisting with the recoveries of Jay Beagle and Marcus Johansson .
“ I think Mark [ Nemish ] was surprised by my ability ,” Lutz said , “ not that I ’ m an exceptional goaltender , but I know how to play the position , I ’ ve played it my whole life . I think he was pleasantly surprised that I was comfortable in there and could hold my own and give the guys a decent workout .”
After Lutz helped with the rehabilitation process for a couple years , Nemish recommended him as an EBUG for the 2017 – 18 season to the new goaltending coach Scott Murray .
“ Willy [ Lutz ] is a fantastic guy ,” Nemish said , “ he comes and fills in for us and takes shots from the best professional hockey players on the planet .”
The golf professional was then elevated to that elite position but continued working with injured players as a side project , starting with Brett Connolly , Tyler Graovac , and Matt Niskanen in October , later Andre Burakovsky in November , and standout wing T . J . Oshie in December . According to Lutz , his time spent with Oshie was his favorite memory . The superstar was sidelined at the time while in concussion protocol .
WILLY LUTZ
28 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2018 vsga . org