Who says playing goal in the NHL can’t be sexy? Not Anthony Stolarz. The Toronto Maple Leafs netminder was donning a pair of sunglasses as he came out to the Scotiabank Arena ice as one of the game’s three stars following Monday’s 4-1 home-ice win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Someone gave them to me and there’s a camera on it,” Stolarz explained to the Toronto media following Monday’s win over the Blackhawks. “I was like, ‘Yeah sure. Why not?’ Going out there, it was a little dark.
There’s an age-old theory in hockey that while a team can never win without stellar puckstopping, in terms of marketing, goalies don’t sell the game to the masses. Nobody is buying tickets to watch somebody keep the puck from going into the net. If you look at jersey sale numbers, people aren’t flocking to purchase the sweater of their favorite team’s netminder.
To hockey people, the sexiest thing a goalie can do is brick up the net. And that’s certainly what Toronto’s netminding tandem is doing this season. Their play has been so bright, they gotta wear shades.
ANTHONY STOLARZ SEXIEST GOALIE EVER AND ITS NOT CLOSE pic.twitter.com/fSXdHB61uI
— din🍂 (@klooowry) December 3, 2024
“We’re lucky to have the guys we have,” Leafs forward John Tavares said. “How well they compete, the quality of goalies they are and how well they’re playing.”
Certainly, new coach Craig Berube is bringing a defensive responsibility element to the Leafs’ game that hasn’t been evident in past seasons with his high-octane offensive squad. Toronto is tied for second in the NHL, allowing just 2.54 goals against per game.
It’s also easier to play shutdown defense when your goalies are making the saves. And both Stolarz and Woll are doing just that. Among NHL netminders with at least 10 games played, Stolarz is third in save percentage (.924) and goals-against average (2.23). He’s 8-4-2.
In eight games, Woll is showing a 2.13 GAA and .923 save percentage. He’s 6-2. Both Toronto goalies have posted a shutout this season.