TORONTO — As the Toronto Maple Leafs completed their energetic 5-4 Game 1 win over the rival Florida Panthers, with backup netminder Joseph Woll protecting the lead and third-stringer Dennis Hildeby on standby, two paramedics were observed quickly bringing a padded stretcher into the home dressing room for Anthony Stolarz during the third period.
Stolarz was taken to the hospital by ambulance for assessment, and his condition remained uncertain after the teams had departed Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto`s starting goaltender, who had won 12 of his last 14 starts, initially stayed in Monday`s game after blocking a fast shot from his friend Sam Reinhart in the first period. He also continued for a brief period after receiving an elbow to the head from Sam Bennett during a quick pass in the second frame.
Feeling unwell, Stolarz skated towards the Leafs bench after approximately 30 minutes of play. He bent over and became sick, then used a towel to wipe his mouth. After speaking with trainer Paul Ayotte, he exited the net, leaving the 4-1 advantage to Woll.
“Naturally, I don`t like seeing that. It`s concerning when you witness a teammate go down that way,” said Woll, who stopped 17 of the 20 shots he faced in his first game appearance in 18 days. He added, “You go from being relatively relaxed to being thrust into the action immediately.”
The situation involving Stolarz and Bennett, similar to this highly anticipated second-round clash between two genuine Stanley Cup contenders, seems to be just beginning.
For the next 48 hours, this incident will likely be a primary topic of discussion and concern.
“An elbow to the head. Couldn`t be clearer,” Leafs coach Berube stated after the game. “I`m unsure why there wasn`t a penalty called on it. But, you know, I understand. Officials miss calls. But that was clearly a penalty.”
When asked if he anticipated a suspension for Bennett, who has a history including hitting Brad Marchand in the 2024 second round and causing a concussion to Toronto`s Matthew Knies with an off-play incident in the 2023 second round, Berube responded calmly.
“That`s not my decision to make. That`s for the league,” Berube replied. “They will determine what action they believe is necessary for that play.”
Knies also commented, “Hopefully, the league addresses it properly to protect our players.”
The Panthers opted not to make Bennett available for post-game questions about the elbow, despite requests. Bennett had scored Florida`s fourth goal, causing some late anxiety for the home crowd.
Some Panthers players who had celebrated winning the Cup with Stolarz less than a year ago did offer comments. Eetu Luostarinen called the injury “unfortunate.”
Captain Aleksander Barkov maintained, similar to several Maple Leafs players, that he did not see the specific incident.
“But I hope he`s okay. He`s a big guy, so hopefully he`s fine,” Barkov said. “We are just focused on our own game. It doesn`t matter who we are playing against, who is in net, or which team it is, we aim to execute our plan and concentrate on that.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice also sent well wishes: “We are hopeful for Anthony`s health. We care about him, and we hope he gets better quickly.”
