The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing in reinforcements on defense.
Dakota Mermis, a defenceman, has been called up from the AHL on an emergency basis. The team announced this move before their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
The Maple Leafs played their previous game on Saturday with only five defencemen. Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson were unavailable due to injuries. Salary cap limitations prevented the team from calling up a player until they played a game short-handed.
Despite this, Toronto managed to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in overtime.
Mermis, 31 years old, has played one NHL game this season with the Utah Hockey Club, accumulating two penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating.
Originally from Alton, Illinois, Mermis has played 75 NHL games in his career, scoring four goals and providing eight assists across stints with Arizona, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Utah. This season, he has recorded seven assists in 32 games for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.
The Maple Leafs are scheduled to play against the Hurricanes on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.