After the end of the 2025-26 season, goaltender Anthony Stolarz discussed his most recent injury, a difficult season for the team, his controversial post-game comments in October, and his belief that the Leafs can bounce back next season.
How are you feeling physically?
Stolarz: Obviously, I got hurt, so it is a tough way to end the season. But all of the preliminary tests came back with no surgery. It is more about giving it some time to heal, starting to strengthen it, and getting back to my normal routine in the summer.
What is the injury?
Stolarz: Just a groin strain.
How do you describe the frustration?
Stolarz: It definitely sucks. It is a save I’ve made 500 times throughout the year, between practice and games. It is just one of those things.
I’ve been through injuries in my career. For me, it is not going to deter anything. I’ll hit the rehab process hard and do everything I can this summer and spring to ensure everything is good to go for next year.
You called out the team early in the season for not playing harder and for not protecting the goalies more. It seemed like that message never really got through. What do you think needs to change with this team next year?
Stolarz: If you look back, I thought we had a decent response after that. It definitely didn’t help that it was probably the worst stretch of my season there. I kind of didn’t back up what I said.
I think there was definitely some buy-in from everybody. I think we grew up as a team as the year went on, with everything that happened. If you look at the response we had late in the season after the Auston injury, it’s something that, starting from game one next year, that is the way we have to play.
We have to play like bastards. We have to play hard and play heavy. There were times this year when we showed it. We played with some of the best teams in the league and were able to beat them.
That was the toughest thing: The consistency. We hung with some of the best teams in the league. We beat some of the best teams in the league. It just wasn’t there night in and night out, whether it was the forwards, the defense, or the goaltending.
We can all look back this year and say there were times when we could’ve been better. We got served a slice of humble pie this year. Hopefully, it fuels everyone this summer to train hard and reflect on the year. Come September, come back ready to rock.
When you reflect on the comments you made after the Seattle game, do you regret them? Did it weigh on you at all moving forward?
Stolarz: No, it didn’t weigh on me at all. I regret the way I went about it. Most definitely, it could’ve been handled in the room. Sometimes, what we need is tough love. I was probably going about it the wrong way. I probably could’ve handled it a lot differently.
Just the way Willy responded and the team responded to the comments from me made me feel a lot better about myself. The guys understood where I was coming from. There was animosity between everyone in the room. Relationships weren’t broken or anything.
We had a great locker room. I’m privileged to come to a room with 20 guys who are all good humans and good fathers. It was difficult in the day or two after, but after seeing the team’s response, it made me feel a lot better.
If the group is so tight off the ice, why do you think that’s not evident on the ice more often?
Stolarz: I kind of think it is. Yeah, there was everything that happened with Auston, but just the way the guys were able to respond when we went to Anaheim proves a lot. It is a tough situation for the guys to be on the ice when that happened, but for me, it is just a mentality thing.
You just have to play hard, and you kind of have to bully teams. That is what the successful teams do. I think we did that toward the end of the year. Guys were sticking up for each other, and that’s great. Going forward, we have to reflect on the second half and say, “That’s something we have to bring into next year.”
What gives you the confidence that this group has what it takes to learn from this season and take another step next year?
Stolarz: If you look back at the year we had last year, the majority of that group was back this year. As I said before, if you look at the way we were able to hang with some of the best teams, like the Colorado game in Colorado, it is there. We’ve shown we can do it. I just think the consistency level has to be there night in and night out.
It is a tough thing to do. It’s a tough ask. But at the end of the day, if you want to succeed, it’s what you have to do.
How did you find the workload early on when Joseph Woll was absent? You played a lot in the first couple of months. Was it difficult to navigate?
Stolarz: Physically, I felt fine. It was more or less just about putting too much pressure on myself to be perfect. It was kind of the first time in my career when I had the ball in my court and was able to run with it. I think I was trying to be this perfect goalie and kind of strayed away from what made me successful.
Looking back on it, if I had my normal mentality and mindset, it probably would’ve worked out a lot better. Curtis (Sanford) and I sat down when I was coming back from the neck injury. We watched some film. In the second half of the year, from the Olympics on, I reverted to my play last year and felt a lot more comfortable and confident in the net.
Craig Berube mentioned goals against as the main reason for the team’s step back. What did you notice in that department this season compared to last?
Stolarz: If you look at it, I am sure I, Joe, and Beast definitely had some off-nights and some goals we want back. I know I definitely do.
If you look at the defensive system and the way we play — and the way Craig preaches his game — it is a defensive style. If you look at the playoffs, it’s all there is: defense. Everything gets tighter. I think we have to adapt that playoff style in the regular season. Defense wins championships. There is a reason for that quote. I think if we buy in and get more consistent, it is right there for us.
