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Maple Leafs Want NHL Rule Change After Scary Anthony Stolarz Moment
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- Maple Leafs Want NHL Rule Change After Scary Anthony Stolarz Moment
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz called for the NHL to review its rules after a frightening moment in Thursday's game.
The Leafs ultimately earned a 2–1 overtime win against the New York Rangers , but Stolarz found himself left defending the net without his mask in a scary moment midway through the third period.
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After a shot from Matt Rempe dislodged Stolarz's mask , the goalie admitted following the game that he expected an automatic whistle to stop play after he removed his mask entirely.
That, however, never happened, and Rempe's shot was followed by a one-timer from J.T. Miller seconds later.
The play continued under a little-known rule that allows officials to let action proceed if there's an imminent scoring chance, which they deemed to be the case.
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"It's not like goalies are trying to knock our helmets off. Without the buckle, you can't really see the puck or track it. As soon as you move your head, it falls off," Stolarz said. "Hopefully, the league can look at it, talk to some goalies or people who have knowledge of the position, and we can come to some sort of compromise where our safety isn't put at risk."
Stolarz said he was simply reacting in the moment, seeing the play kept on going.
"Just trying to be a competitor and slide across," Stolarz said. "Obviously, it's not an ideal situation. But at that stage of the game, you're just trying to do anything to keep the puck out of the net."
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His teammates, starting with Matthew Knies , were visibly shaken by the play.
"I was a little scared, to be honest," Knies said . "I thought it was supposed to be blown dead. It was a shocker for sure."
Auston Matthews admitted he didn't even know the rule existed.
"Thankfully, it didn't hit him there. I was completely unaware of the rule. I thought the second the helmet's off, I mean, the play's gotta be dead with no helmet on," Matthews said.
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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) reacts after being hit by an opponent.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
William Nylander called the sequence "crazy" and the situation "dangerous."
"I mean, that's so dangerous. Like, it should be blown off right away," Nylander said. "I guess you could argue that sometimes a goalie could maybe try to shake his helmet off or whatever, but I think that's pretty dangerous."
Toronto head coach Craig Berube agreed the rule should be reconsidered to prevent such scenarios.
"Your goalie loses his mask, he's in a very vulnerable position," Berube said. "In my opinion, blow it down."
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With the win, the Maple Leafs improved to a 3-2-0 record on the season and are tied for the third-most points in the Eastern Conference with six in five games. Toronto will host the Seattle Kraken at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
