By Scott Mason, WRAL reporter

From sharpening skates and fixing steel to painting the goaltenders’ facemasks, 46-year-old Jorge Alves is with the Carolina Hurricanes to ensure they get what they need on a typical day at Lenovo Center.

“The air-brushing is actually the easiest part,” Alves said.

Alves, the son of Portuguese immigrants, grew up playing hockey in Massachusetts. However, a higher calling brought him to North Carolina, where he served in the Marine Corps at Camp Lejune for four years.

After leaving the Corps, Alves started school at North Carolina State University and became the club team’s goalie, later winning ACC goalie of the year.

“I decided, ‘Hey, you know what? I’m going to throw my hat into the ring and see what I got,’” Alves said.

It was a long journey for Alves, as he played for several minor league hockey teams, including the Charlotte Checkers, between 2004 and 2007.

“There is a lot of minor league hockey in the south, which I didn’t know about either,” Alves said. “Probably 13 teams total that I dressed and suited up for.”

While some announcers and reporters thought he would be in the NHL, that never materialized.

“For years and years, you chase a dream, and then all of a sudden, one day, you have to make a decision,” Alves said.

Alves had a family by 2007 and then adopted a new one that allowed him to keep his hockey passions alive.

“I found the Hurricanes and the equipment manager side of it, which kept me in the game,” Alves said.

In the blink of a slapshot, nearly 10 years passed, and Alves had established himself within the team. But on New Year’s Eve 2016, his dream of suiting up in the NHL became a reality.

That night, backup goalie Eddie Läck was out of the game while recovering from a concussion, leaving Canes legend Cam Ward as the only goalie on the roster, leading to the Canes calling on Alves for emergency goalie duties.

“Next thing you know, I’m like, ‘All right, this is happening,” Alves said. “I just got ready to sit on the bench and cheer on the rest of the team.”

As the Canes trailed the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 with seconds left in the game, coach Bill Peters sent Alves into the game, making the former Marine one of the oldest players to make their NHL debut at 37 years old.

While it had no outcome in the game, it had a personal effect on Alves.

“I get a little emotional thinking about it,” Alves said. “You never know what could happen, and the fact something like that happened? It was amazing.”

Nearly 10 more years have passed, and Alves is still sharpening skates and getting players ready for puck drop, including for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

Alves said he wants to continue sharing his love for the sport, adding that he plans to stick with the Canes and do more coaching so children can achieve their hockey dreams.

“The gratitude I have for the Carolina Hurricanes organization for actually thinking about me at that time and doing that was amazing,” Alves said.

Source: wralsportsfan.com