Hockey Player Sam Bennett Addresses Contentious Incident Involving Toronto's Anthony Stolarz
Rewritten Article:
The first game of the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs second round served up a dose of controversy, with the focus largely falling on Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett.
In a heated moment, Bennett seemed to clash heads with Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz, leaving many wondering if Bennett's forearm played a role in Stolarz's later departure from the game.
A short while later, Stolarz left the ice, reportedly needing to be taken to a nearby hospital via stretcher, although he's since been released. It's unclear if the hit from Bennett or a fierce shot from Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, which struck Stolarz's mask, was the main culprit behind Stolarz's injury. No penalty was called on the play, despite calls for the NHL's Department of Player Safety to dish out some supplemental discipline.
Refusing to comment immediately following the game, Bennett finally broke his silence on Tuesday.
"Stollie is a good friend of mine," Bennett said, as reported by Sportsnet. "I reached out to him. He responded. "Obviously, I never want to see an injury like that. From my perspective, I'm just trying to score the puck. I didn't even realize we made contact until later. I'm on the power play, and that's really all there was to it."
Despite his defense, Bennett understood why fans and spectators might be angry given Stolarz's injury.
"I get why people reacted that way (with anger) because Stollie is hurt. Of course, when your starting goalie gets injured, people are going to be upset. When I looked back at the video, the contact that was made, in my opinion, it's just a minor bump. There was no intent to harm. I'm trying to score, and the last thing on my mind was thinking about hitting him in the head."
Interestingly, Stolarz played for the Panthers just last season and helped them win the Stanley Cup. Despite the apparent severity of his injuries, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has not ruled Stolarz out for Game 2.
In a twist of irony, Stolarz's injury was not caused by a shot from Reinhart but the apparent hit from Bennett, according to multiple reports and Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube, who specifically called it a "clear as day" penalty.
Insights:- Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz sustained an injury during Game 1 due to a hit from Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett, not a shot from Sam Reinhart.- Despite the apparent severity of his injuries, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has not ruled Stolarz out for Game 2.
(Photo by Michael Chisholm/NHLI via Getty Images)
- The NHL's Department of Player Safety is being called upon to consider supplemental discipline, due to the controversial hit from Sam Bennett on Anthony Stolarz during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs second round.
- Despite his defense, many still question Bennett's role in Stolarz's injury, as the Florida Panthers forward previously played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and won the Stanley Cup with them last season.
- The apparent hit from Sam Bennett, not a shot from Sam Reinhart, is reportedly the cause of Anthony Stolarz's injury during Game 1, according to Multiple reports and Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube.
- Injured Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, who was a forceful presence during the Panthers' Stanley Cup winning season last year, has not been ruled out for Game 2, despite the severity of his injuries.
