Sam Bennett: I Did Not Try to Hit nor Hurt Anthony Stolarz

Sam Bennett said Tuesday that he did not intend to injure Toronto goalie — and former teammate — Anthony Stolarz when he made contact with the side of his head during the second period the night before.

Bennett said he was “taking the puck” to the net when he came around Stolarz. He added he did not even know he hit Stolarz until afterward, describing the hit with his arm as “just a bump.’’

Stolarz, who won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last season before signing as a free agent with the Maple Leafs in July, hit the ice for a moment.

Earlier in the game, he blocked a shot from Sam Reinhart that had so much force that it dislodged Stolarz’s mask.

Not long after the Bennett hit, Stolarz went to the Toronto bench and vomited.

He was later taken from the arena by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

Stolarz was out of the hospital by Tuesday morning, and shared breakfast with some of his Toronto teammates.

His status for Game 2 is unclear.

Bennett will not face any discipline from the NHL.

“Stoli is a good friend of mine,’’ Bennett said in speaking with the media on Tuesday morning. “I reached out to him. He responded.

“Obviously never want to see an injury like that, but from my point of view, I’m just taking the puck to the net. I didn’t even know that I made contact until after. I’m on the power play trying to score. I’m taking the puck on the net. That’s really all there was to it.”

As far as the hit went?

“When one of your starting goalies gets injured, people are going to be upset,’’ Bennett said. “Looking back at the video, I mean, really, the contact that was made was, in my opinion, it’s really just a bump. There was no forceful action. I’m trying to score. The last thing in my mind is thinking about blowing him in the head.”

The Stolarz/Bennett storyline has been the talk of Toronto since Monday night.

Coach Paul Maurice made light of the Toronto media showing the hit time and again — among other infractions Bennett has made over the years including a wrestling-style takedown of then-rookie Matthew Knies in the 2023 playoffs against the Maple Leafs.

Bennett was not penalized for that hit, either, but Knies was knocked out of the series with a suspected concussion.

Maurice does have a history with the hockey-mad Toronto media having been the coach of the Maple Leafs in the past as well as working as a commentator between coaching gigs.

“There was a hit 2 1/2 years ago that you guys have shown 4,000 times,’’ Maurice said. “There was a parking ticket seven years ago that I think actually made the video. He’s got the puck, he’s on the power play, he goes to the net. … In understand, like, call the fire department, put your hair out. Let’s move on, please. …

“I mean I have seen every hit that Sam Bennett has thrown since he was 12-years-old on TV this morning. Go ahead and run with it. We’re good. The puck’s going to drop.’’

Maurice, who expressed concern for the health of Stolarz after Game 1, continued that on Tuesday.

“Most of this, for me, is tempered by the fact that Stoli is one of our guys,’’ Maurice said. “We love that guy. So, if i thought Sam had crossed a line or an edge, I would probably be a little more careful with my words. I just didn’t think it happened, but I figured it was going to be like this, this morning.’’

Bennett, who has been suspended a couple of times over the years including in the 2021 playoffs against the Lightning, says he won’t change the way he plays.

“I play a hard style of game, a hard style of hockey,’’ Bennett said. “People get upset by things and worked up, but I try to just tune that out. I’m just trying to play my game.

“I’m just trying to help our team win, and I just try and push all that noise away.”

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 2

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Toronto Leads Best-of-7 Series 1-0

• When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
• National TV/Streaming: ESPN
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Toronto 5, Florida 4; Game 2: Wednesday@Toronto, 7 (ESPN); Game 3: Friday @Florida, 7 (TNT/truTV); Game 4: Sunday @Florida, 7:30 (TBS/truTV); Game 5*: Wednesday May 14 @Toronto TBA (ESPN); Game 6*:Friday May 16 @Florida TBA (TNT/truTV); Game 7*: Sunday May 18 @Toronto TBA (TNT/truTV).
• How They Got Here: Toronto d. Ottawa 4-2; Florida d. Tampa Bay 4-1
• This Regular Season: Panthers Won 3-1; Last Regular Season: Tied 2-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 51-40-7, 7 ties
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS)