'There's Always Going To Be People Who Doubt You': Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz Reveals Reason Behind Messages On Mask

Stolarz has five wins through his first nine games with a 2.12 goals-against-average and a .928 save percentage.

"PROVE PEOPLE WRONG" and "RULE NO. 76, NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION": Those are the two unique messages on the back of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz's mask.

The 30-year-old goaltender admitted on Thursday that he's had the "PROVE PEOPLE WRONG" slogan on his mask for nearly nine years. The message has contributed to Stolarz's success in Toronto, Florida, and Anaheim.

"It's just something that I thought would be pretty cool to have on my mask, the netminder said on Thursday. 

"There's always going to be people who doubt you and it's been like that for everybody. People don't want us to succeed and it's up to you to battle through that adversity and come out on top."

Stolarz has had an incredible start to his tenure with the Maple Leafs. He's up to five wins through nine games with a .928 save percentage, the fourth-best in the NHL behind Igor Shesterkin, Lukas Dostal, and Cam Talbot.

The goaltender admitted he's following the message on his mask and playing well to start the season with Toronto.

"I mean, at the end of the day, my job is to go out there and stop the puck. Night in and night out, I just focus on one shot at a time and trying not to reflect on anything in the past and any goals you give up because you can't really control that," he said.

"It's a mentality that I've adopted these last couple years and it's been working for me."

If you've watched the film Wedding Crashers, with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, you'll know about the "RULE NO. 76, NO EXCUSES, PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION" quote.

It's a saying Stolarz says rings true. It also has a comedic effect to it.

"It's just something funny," he said with a smile. "It was one of my favorite movies growing up and I just thought it would be something cool to put on there."

Stolarz's strong start to the season has arguably given him the keys to be the Maple Leafs' number one goaltender. And those messages on his mask remind him that it's his job to work hard every day, no matter the circumstances. 

"Exactly. You just want to go out there and play. I mean, at the end of the day, I keep saying, no one's going to feel sorry for you," Stolarz said. 

"You're the one that's out there. You have to go out there and work hard. It's my job, day-to-day, so my job is to go out there and stop the puck and that's what I'm trying to do."