Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Draws Comparison to Late-Blooming Stanley Cup Champion
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
In an exclusive interview with Jonas Siegel, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz revealed his inspiration and who he tries to model his game after.
With Anthony Stolarz in tow for the next four years thanks to a $15-million extension this past weekend, the Toronto Maple Leafs have their goaltending locked down for the next few years with two legitimate #1 goaltenders to guide them towards a Stanley Cup.
It was a bargain deal all things considered and it shows that Stolarz certainly has loyalty when it comes to the team, and while he debated on testing free agency next year; Toronto was always home.
So fresh off the biggest contract of his career, and a fantastic season that could have been even better had he not gotten injured, he's all eyes ahead on the 2025-26 and is expected to be a huge part of the team getting off to a hot start this year.
Anthony Stolarz Reveals Career Inspiration Ahead Of Crucial Season
But his latest interview with The Athletic's Jonas Siegel, Stolarz revealed that his elite level of play has a lot to do with who he tries to take after in the crease, and it's another goalie who came into his own later on: Tim Thomas.
Thomas, who Leaf fans know very well, was someone who came out of nowhere to help the Boston Bruins dominate in the early 2010's and won two Vezina's in his mid-30s.
He's the type of goalie Stolarz wants to be, and it seems like he's already on that road:
The first name Stolarz mentions when asked about the career trajectory he envisions for himself is Tim Thomas, the former Boston Bruins netminder who didn't become a regular in the NHL until he was 31.
'I think it's more of a confidence thing for me. Just being able to go out there and play as much as I did, surpassing my career high (for games played) and playing as well as I did consistently.
I think that's the biggest thing for me is just being able to go out there and give the team a chance every night. Putting up steady numbers is great, because it's more likely than not that we're going to have a chance to win.'
'I think it's more of a confidence thing for me. Just being able to go out there and play as much as I did, surpassing my career high (for games played) and playing as well as I did consistently.
I think that's the biggest thing for me is just being able to go out there and give the team a chance every night. Putting up steady numbers is great, because it's more likely than not that we're going to have a chance to win.'
He also recognized that both Ben Bishop, Jacob Markstrom and Sergei Bobrovsky have all blossomed later on, and that while age is almost always a death sentence for a goalie; there are exceptions to the rule.
Maple Leafs Expectations For Anthony Stolarz This Season
Well first and foremost it's to stay healthy, because a healthy Stolarz is a dangerous Stolarz.
Last season he posted a 21-8-3 record with a 2.14 GAA and .926 SV%; this was all after missing a month of the season as well. He could have rivalled Connor Hellebuyck for the Vezina had he kept that pace up.
He was very solid in the playoffs too, and had he also not gotten knocked out thanks to a Sam Bennett elbow to the head; Toronto's playoff outlook may have been way different.
But with Joseph Woll out indefinitely, the expectation is for him to come in and hold things down as long as possible. Sure, the team has James Reimer backing him up now, but this is the litmus test.
Stolarz wants 40-50 starts, and depending on how long Woll is out and his momentum, he very well could get it. If he can stay on the ice and keep up his elite level of play; Woll might end up needing to back him up as opposed to sharing duties.
Plus, there could be some extra motivation this season with the Olympics, and if he starts off hot and plays himself into an undeniable position; he could be in for a career year through and through.
So while he might not exactly be like Tim Thomas, he's certainly doing his best impression and if he keeps it up could end up emulating Thomas' successes as well.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 1 | 1152 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Draws Comparison to Late-Blooming Stanley Cup Champion Do you think Toronto has their own version of Tim Thomas in Anthony Stolarz? | ||
| Yes | 872 | 75.7 % |
| No | 280 | 24.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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