Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs are not fully happy despite their win against the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of their playoff series on Monday, May 5. Leafs fans were outraged about reports that Florida forward Sam Bennett would not face any further action for his hit to the head on Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz.
Leafs HC Craig Berube Says Referees ‘Missed the Penalty Call’
On Tuesday, May 6, Berube said Stolarz was recovering but did not state whether the goalie would play in Game 2 or whether he had a concussion. Berube refused to comment further about the controversy surrounding the incident.
“I’ve moved on from it. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s over,” he said, according to NHL reporter Mark Masters.
Craig Berube cuts off question about league not disciplining Sam Bennett
"I've moved on from it. I don't want to talk about it. It's over."@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 6, 2025
On Monday, during the postgame press conference, Berube had bluntly stated that Bennett should have been penalized on the ice. “Elbow to the head. Clear as day,” he said. “I’m not sure why there’s not a call on it. But, you know, I get it. They [referees] miss calls. It’s clearly a penalty.”
In response to a question about whether the NHL should take further action against Bennett, the veteran coach replied: ”That’s not up to me. That’s up to the league. They’ll do what they think is necessary on that play.”
Hockey Analysts Weigh In on Bennett-Stolarz Incident
The incident has sparked a broader debate about the extent to which goalies should be protected on the ice. Former NHL player Chris Pronger posted a thread on X dissecting the larger issue. He also highlighted that the NHL’s last disciplinary action during the playoffs involving a hit on a goalie occurred in 2012.
“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.
TSN analyst and writer for The Athletic, Chris Johnston, reported that Stolarz had to leave the arena on a stretcher, which led to a massive outcry among fans and calls for Bennett to be punished. The Florida forward’s history of rough play only added fuel to the fire. Sportsnet commentator Elliotte Friedman also criticized the game officials and the NHL for their inaction.
“Personal opinion … Goalies need to be protected. Fact there was no penalty/punishment is a miss and bad outcome,” Friedman said.
There will be no supplemental discipline emanating from Florida/Toronto last night.
Personal opinion, stemming waaaaaaaaay back from Milan Lucic/Ryan Miller:
Goalies need to be protected. Fact there was no penalty/punishment is a miss and bad outcome.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 6, 2025
Bennett, who was not part of the Panthers’ postgame media availability, spoke to reporters at the team’s hotel on Tuesday.
“I heard that he went to the hospital last night,” he said via Sportsnet. “Stollie’s a good friend of mine. I reached out to him. He responded. Never want to see an injury like that. From my point of view, I’m just taking the puck to the net. I didn’t even know that we made contact until after. I’m on the power play. I’m trying to score. I’m taking the puck to the net, and that’s really all there is to it.”