Mar 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok (19) and San Jose Sharks defenseman Jake Walman (96) battle for a puck during the period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
In a game that lacked excitement for most of the night, things took a turn in the third period as the San Jose Sharks clawed their way back from a 2-0 deficit against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
The Leafs, riding a five-game win streak, saw it snapped on home ice, falling 3-2 in a shootout to a Sharks team that now has 16 wins on the season.
Despite the loss, the night marked a significant milestone for Calle Jarnkrok, who made his long-awaited return to the lineup. Jarnkrok, activated off long-term injured reserve earlier in the day on Monday, suited up for his first game of the season while also appearing in his 700th career regular-season game.
Lining up on the fourth line alongside David Kampf and Connor Dewar, Jarnkrok stepped back into game action for the first time since undergoing sports hernia surgery in November. The 33-year-old had been skating with the team since returning from the 4 Nations Break, slowly working his way back to game shape after sustaining the injury in training camp.
“(Felt) pretty good. It took a while to get going. Timing (was) a little off, thought it got a little better as the game went on,” said Jarnkrok post-game.
Head coach Craig Berube gave Jarnkrok the nod to start the game, matching his line against San Jose’s trio of Barclay Goodrow, Ty Dellandrea, and Luke Kunin.
“That line started tonight against the Goodrow line. I thought Jarny had a good game,” said Berube following the loss. “Late in the game, I put Kampf and him (Jarnkrok) out there with Willy; they had a couple of good shifts.”
The Swede’s ice time was limited, logging just 8:23 in his return on Monday night to go along with two hits and a minus-1 rating. Berube, who coached Jarnkrok for the first time in a game against the Sharks, had nothing but praise for Jarnkrok’s return.
“He’s always in the right position; he’s got great hockey IQ,” said Berube. “He skated well tonight, I thought. I thought he was on pucks; he was tenacious and made some good plays, but he skated really well tonight for me.”
“We’re really excited for him,” added teammate John Tavares. “Obviously, it’s been a really difficult year. Coming to camp, you’re all excited and then feeling the way he was feeling and then have to go through the process he went through… He’s worked really hard and is a big part of our team. He plays a really valuable role, an unsung hero type of role for us.”
Jarnkrok was one of many injuries that have plagued the Leafs this season, returning to the lineup ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. While his numbers last season – 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games – weren’t eye-popping, the club is hoping his presence will be of value moving forward with 21 games remaining on the regular season schedule.
“It’s been a long time since I played a regular season game, pretty much a year, I think," said Jarnkrok. "I was a little nervous in the beginning, but I got over it pretty quickly. It was nice to be back.”
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