Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz returned to the crease Friday night, starting in Toronto’s 6-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The defeat dropped the Leafs to 24-18-9, leaving them near the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
Following the game, questions arose after head coach Craig Berube described the decision surrounding Stolarz’s return as “not my call,” prompting an NHL insider to provide some clarity.
NHL Insider Explains Leafs HC Craig Berube’s “Not My Call” Comment
Stolarz allowed five goals on 30 shots in his first game back. He had been out since Nov. 11 due to an upper-body injury, which forced him to leave a game against the Boston Bruins in the opening period. Before returning, he practiced with the Maple Leafs during their four-game road trip and also spent time with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on a conditioning stint.
After Saturday’s optional skate, Berube was asked if the team had considered giving Stolarz additional games in the minors before his NHL start. “That’s not my call,” Berube said. The remark surprised many, as goaltending decisions are usually considered the head coach’s responsibility.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman later shed light on the situation, explaining that the plan had been decided well before Stolarz returned. “Basically, what I was told was when Anthony Stolarz was on his conditioning stint, the agreement was made when he returned, it would be with an NHL team, that was the preference, and everyone agreed to this,” Friedman said.
Friedman added that the Leafs did take another look at the plan, but they decided to stay the course. The team chose to give Stolarz a few extra days of practice to ensure he was fully prepared before returning. With a tough stretch ahead — including Vegas, a Sunday afternoon game in Colorado, and Buffalo on Tuesday — there was no clear “easy” matchup to ease him back into action.
“So when he was ready, and everybody agreed that he was going to return to the NHL, that was the way they went,” he added.
During Stolarz’s absence, Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby split time in goal, with Hildeby being sent back to the Marlies once Stolarz was activated. Woll is expected to start Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche.
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While Woll has gone 0-1-2 in his last three appearances, it appears the Leafs want to give Stolarz a few more practice reps before handing him another start. The Leafs are sticking to the plan they agreed on long before Berube’s “not my call” comment ever made headlines.
