'It's really just a bump', says Bennett after elbow to the head sends Stolarz to the hospital
The Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett said the collision that sent Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender and former teammate Anthony Stolarz off the ice to vomit and later to the hospital via ambulance was “really just a bump.”
When asked Tuesday about the collision that occurred about midway through the teams’ second-round series opener, the gritty forward said there wasn’t force behind it and he wasn’t aware of the head contact until after.
“ I’m trying to score,” he said, as seen in a Sportsnet video. “The last thing in my mind is thinking about elbowing him in the head.”
“When your starting goalie gets injured, people are going to be upset.”
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 6, 2025
Sam Bennett on Leafs fans' reaction to Anthony Stolarz’s injury. pic.twitter.com/5hQsW2FAbW
Stolarz, meanwhile, was released from the hospital on Tuesday, but head coach Craig Berube was non-committal on whether the No. 1 goalie would return to the crease for Game 2 Wednesday night in Toronto.
Bennett’s ‘elbow to the head’ leaves Stolarz vomiting on the bench
About seven minutes into the second period, with the Leafs ahead 4-1, Bennett’s right arm collided with the left side of the netminder’s head during a play in front of the net.
Stolarz fell to the ice momentarily, but stayed in. There was no penalty called.
“T hat is a potential concussion sign and usually would suggest removal and assessment, which didn’t happen,” noted neuroscientist Chris Nowinski, CEO and founder of Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), told National Post.
Does Sam Bennett deserve a hearing with @NHLPlayerSafety for his collision with Stolarz? pic.twitter.com/B7LonzNEkG
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 6, 2025
After a little more than two minutes of game time — approximately nine minutes of real time — cameras appeared to show Stolarz vomiting into a bucket at the bench during a TV timeout. He was pulled from the game and replaced by Joseph Woll, who made 17 stops in relief.
Vomiting is a common concussion symptom, Nowinski explained, and anyone experiencing it should seek immediate medical attention.
“ The fact that the vomiting started so close to a blow to the head means that it’s a concussion, unless we learned he had food poisoning or some other very clear cause,” he said.
After the game, it was learned that Stolarz left the Air Canada Centre on a stretcher and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
Anthony Stolarz was seen vomiting into a bucket before being pulled from the game ????????
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 6, 2025
(via Sportsnet) pic.twitter.com/dk4OSTJ2QC
The NHL has a concussion protocol designed to quickly identify and evaluate players who may have suffered a head injury. It starts with concussion spotters — people trained to look for the tell-tale symptoms — who can remove a player from the game for an acute evaluation by the team doctor, who then has the final say on whether the player can return to the game.
Anyone diagnosed with a concussion must follow the league’s recovery protocol.
Nowinski said he wasn’t surprised Stolarz stayed in net for so long after the collision.
“ My expectations for professional sports organizations in the playoffs are very low for them following concussion protocols,” he said.
Will Bennett be disciplined for the collision with Stolarz?
After the game, Berube told the media that he felt Bennett delivered an “elbow to the head.”
“I get it, they miss calls, but it’s clearly a penalty,” he added.
The Panthers did not make Bennett available to the media for post-game interviews.
“Hopefully the league will handle it and take good care of it and protect our players,” said Leafs forward Matthew Knies, who was concussed on a Bennett hit during the 2023 playoffs.
Florida coach Paul Maurice had less to say on the matter when asked about it twice post-game, once by a reporter who arrived late.
“This is what is going to happen. You are all going to light your hair on fire, and I am going to let you. I have answered one on it. I understand that you are late,” he said.
“The referee was standing right there when it happened. You will do your thing, the league will do its thing, and I’ll coach the next game, hopefully.”
As of 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety hasn’t officially stated whether Bennett will face supplemental discipline, however, media outlets such as Sportsnet , TSN , and ESPN reported no punishment would be forthcoming.
Bennett said Tuesday that he’d reached out to Stolarz and that his Stanley Cup-winning teammate from last season responded. (Stolarz signed with Toronto in the offseason.)
Stolarz took two shots to the head in Monday night’s game. The first occurred about five minutes in when a shot from the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart struck him in the mask and knocked it off. The play was whistled down, but he remained in net.
Stolarz just took an 80mph puck to the face. Popped both straps off & dented his steel mask.
— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) May 6, 2025
When I put on the goalie gear, I took a glanced shot off the shoulder and into the face.
It feels like someone throwing a rock the size of a chew can as hard as they can into your helmet. pic.twitter.com/TdnTUJnpeu
Stolarz, who won a Stanley Cup with the Panthers last spring and signed with the Leafs in the offseason, has started all seven of the team’s playoff games, posting a 2.19 goals-against average and save percentage of .901.
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.