Dusty Imoo figured that Saturday would be a long day.
The Los Angeles Kings goaltending development coach had already been called on to replace goaltending coach Bill Ranford, who was in Winnipeg participating in the alumni game that preceded the Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers. With Kings franchise goaltender Jonathan Quick out with a groin injury, Imoo was also scrambling to help the team stabilize its situation in net.
And that was all before Los Angeles' expected starting goaltender, Jeff Zatkoff, left practice that day with a groin injury. Zatkoff's absence left the Kings with Peter Budaj as the lone goalie for their game that night against the Vancouver Canucks, and forced L.A. to call up Jack Campbell from its American Hockey League affiliate in nearby Ontario.
Campbell's recall had further repercussions. It left Imoo's son, Jonah, as the Ontario Reign's only goalie. What ensued was a unique evening that the hockey world, not to mention the Imoo family, is still talking about.
"I knew it was an original situation and I could tell as the game approached that it was developing a life of its own, with the cameras and fans," Dusty Imoo said. "It's been kind of crazy. I had no idea it would get this much traction."
Traction from sports media is exactly what you get when a 46-year-old coach is forced to rush back to Ontario so he can serve as a backup in his 22-year-old son's first major pro start. When word started spreading on social media that Dusty would serve as Jonah's backup, the story took off. It happened so fast that the elder Imoo wasn't even able to make travel arrangements to Southern California for his wife, who lives with their three other children in Vancouver.
Even several days later, Dusty and Jonah Imoo were still processing on the unique moment they shared on the ice.
"When I went into the dressing room and saw our stalls and gear and name tags next to each other, it was an unreal thing," said Dusty. "Sitting next to him and getting our gear on together for a real professional hockey game, and his first one. That I could be there and do that with him was more than a dream come true. I was a teammate and I got a stool, but I didn't sit on it very much. I worked the gate and got right into the game. I was yelling at refs and having fun."
The younger Imoo stopped 26 of 31 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to the San Jose Barricudas. And while the press onslaught that followed kept asking him to discuss his one night as his father's teammate, Jonah Imoo is mostly preoccupied with developing -- on his own merits -- as a goaltender.
"The more I play, the more comfortable I will feel," said Jonah. "For my first game, I did feel pretty comfortable. Obviously it was a lot of fun. You want to play a little more just to build up more trust."
At least he'll have someone other than his father backing him up. The Reign called up goaltender Jack Flinn from Manchester of the ECHL following Saturday's game and the Kings signed former NHL goaltender Anders Lindback to a professional tryout on Tuesday. Lindback must wait for his work visa to be processed before he can play.
As memorable as their shared game was, Dusty Imoo has been fortunate to have his family around for many of his finest moments in the sport. When he earned his Japanese citizenship and backstopped the Japanese national team at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games, his kids, including then-4-year-old Jonah, were there in full face paint, cheering on his overmatched squad. When he won a 2000 league title in Japan, where he played professionally for more than a decade, Dusty brought his youngest son, Makito, onto the ice. Just months old at the time, Makito Imoo even appeared in the Seibu Prince Rabbits' celebratory team photo.
But when it comes to indelible moments that combine Dusty Imoo's love for his family and his sport, there might be a new standout.
Father and son! @Dusty70 & @JonahImoo take the ice for the Reign! Photo by @TaylorBlakeWard pic.twitter.com/Kvhjaw9Sjg
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) October 23, 2016
"I was emotional at times. During the game not so much because it was so intense," said Dusty. "But before the game, for sure. And then after, when I started reading stuff and seeing Jonah's interviews, that meant a lot."
That sentiment is shared by his son.
"It's tough to explain how it felt. Something like that never happens," said Jonah. "It was really cool having him there on the bench because he is my goalie coach and my dad. He's given me tips my whole life. During the TV timeouts, he always had something good to say. Something reassuring and helpful."
Life for the Imoo family mostly returned to normal after that AHL game. Jonah returned to practice, while Dustin flew to Vancouver the next morning to spend a few days with the rest of the family. But they'll be reunited during a weekend road trip that will see Ontario play three games in three nights.
With Lindback and Flinn in the fray, Jonah will focus on retaining the starting job with Ontario. Meanwhile, his father will continue to find a way to stabilize the franchise's goaltending situation. At least he won't be called on to serve as a backup again anytime soon.
"I'm off the hook," he said, joking.
Just days removed from this once-in-a-lifetime confluence of events, Dusty Imoo can't help but feel a little emotional about that wild night he shared with his son.
"I will always ..." he said before pausing to correct himself. "We will always have this moment. I know Jonah's going to go on and do other things, whether it be with the Kings or someone else. He's going to have other memories. But we'll always have this."