The New Jersey native is 8-5-2 this season with Toronto.
NEWARK, N.J. — Anthony Stolarz is will make his hometown start when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
“I grew up in Jackson, it’s about an hour south of the Prudential Center. Having the chance to play in front of friends and family in an arena that I grew up coming to as a kid would be very special,” Stolarz said on Monday about the possibility of playing in Jersey.
The 30-year-old was expected to get the start against the Devils earlier in the season when the club visited in October. Still, an unexpected injury to Joseph Woll forced Toronto to alter their plans. Stolarz started in the club’s 1-0 season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens while Dennis Hildeby made his NHL debut the following night, a 4-2 victory.
Stolarz signed a two-year, $5 million contract with Toronto this past summer after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season. The goaltender was brought in to provide depth and stability to Toronto’s netminding roster and has done that with an 8-5-2 record and a .924 save percentage
"He's excited for sure," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Stolarz on Tuesday. "Family and everything here, grew up here. It's important for him."
In six career games against the Devils, Stolarz is 1-1-1 with a .926 save percentage.
