Maple Leafs starting goalie injured

 

Due to a lower-body ailment, Joseph Woll will not start in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN) in their season opener against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

For the Maple Leafs, Anthony Stolarz will get the start. Woll reported discomfort following practice on Tuesday, according to coach Craig Berube, which prompted the emergency recall of American Hockey League goalkeeper Dennis Hildeby from Toronto.

Hildeby will continue to travel with the club, but Berube would not rule out Woll starting on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.

With effect from July 1st, 2020, Woll, 26, inked a three-year, $10.98 million contract with Toronto ($3.66 million average yearly value). In 2023–24, he had a record of 12–11–1, 2.94 goals against average, and a.907 save percentage despite missing over two months due to a high ankle injury. Due to an unexplained ailment, he was also unable to play in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Boston Bruins.

On July 3, Stolarz agreed to a $5 million, two-year contract ($2.5 million AAV) with Toronto. Last season, the 30-year-old played for the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers, going 16-7-2 with a League-leading 2.03 GAA and a.925 save % (minimum 25 games).

“Really, really, really good goalie,” Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty said of Stolarz. “The first couple of days [of training camp], I don’t think I scored a single goal on him, like the first four or five practices, it was starting to get me pretty upset. He’s massive in there. He’s really big, takes up a lot of net.”

Hildeby has never played an NHL game. The 23-year-old was selected by Toronto in the fourth round (No. 122) of the 2022 NHL Draft.