The Toronto Maple Leafs’ 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers on Monday, May 5, was marred by the injury to netminder Anthony Stolarz. While Toronto won Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second round at Scotiabank Arena, Stolarz had to leave the ice after taking a hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in the second period of the game.
Anthony Stolarz Left the Ice With an Undisclosed Injury
Stolarz reportedly took a hit to the head from Panthers forward Sam Bennett at 7:16 of the second period. He stayed in goal till the next TV timeout at 10:14, when he left the ice and did not return. According to multiple sources, Bennett will not face any further punishment for the hit.
Former NHL player Chris Pronger posted a lengthy thread analyzing the different aspects of the incident on X. The hockey hall-of-famer dissected the action and provided a running commentary on whether Bennett deserved a penalty, supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety (DoPS), and whether or not the hit was intentional.
“I can’t help but think that had the referees called a penalty on this Bennett incident with Stolarz, there would not be as much outcry as there is for supplementary discipline,” he said.
#leafsforever #timetohunt #NHLPlayoffs Stolarz-Bennett 🧵
I can't help but think that had the referees called a penalty on this Bennett incident with Stolarz, there would not be as much outcry as there is for supplementary discipline.— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) May 6, 2025
The NHL insider discussed whether the act of penalizing the hit would have mitigated the calls for supplemental discipline in his posts.
“If Stolarz gets up and is fine does this incident rise to the level of supplementary discipline … During my time with DoPS I cannot tell you how many times merely calling the infraction on the ice could have alleviated a lot of the anger,” Pronger said.
During my time with DoPS I cannot tell you how many times merely calling the infraction on the ice could have alleviated a lot of the anger with respect to a particular play. Not sure that would be the case with this one and with this particular team the Florida Panthers.
— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) May 6, 2025
Pronger said that he could only find one incident in recent NHL history where a player was suspended for an incident involving a goaltender.
“Some history with respect to goalies, the last disciplinary incident involving a goaltender in the playoffs that I could find goes way back to 2012 with Andrew Shaw receiving a 3 game suspension for his hit on Mike Smith in their playoff series,” Pronger posted.
He also touched upon the broader implications and factors surrounding the incident, including the precedent the DoPS would set by penalizing Bennett, what the NHL could do to set a uniform standard to assess such incidents, and whether the hit was malicious or not.
“Should it have been a penalty? YES. Was Bennett trying to injure Stolarz who is a former teammate from just last year? I DON’T THINK SO,” Pronger said.
Was Bennett trying to injure Stolarz who is a former teammate from just last year? I DON'T THINK SO
— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) May 6, 2025
Toronto Fans Outraged About Sam Bennett’s Hit
Maple Leafs fans were outraged over the incident and that no penalty was called for it, especially after reports emerged that Stolarz left the arena on a stretcher.
READ MORE: Panthers Coach Paul Maurice Addresses Sam Bennett/Anthony Stolarz Incident
Toronto coach Craig Berube told reporters after the game that the team would monitor and evaluate the goalie’s condition over the next few days. He was blunt in his take about the injury: “Elbow to the head. Clear as day,” Berube said via Sportsnet. “I’m not sure why there’s not a call on it. But, you know, I get it. They miss calls. It’s clearly a penalty.”
In response to a question about whether the NHL should take further action against Bennett, Berube replied: ”That’s not up to me. That’s up to the league. They’ll do what they think is necessary on that play.”