David Alter reports that Anthony Stolarz will debut new Hometown Remix gear for the Maple Leafs tonight against the Devils.
Stolarz is the projected starter in the second half of a back-to-back, with Sergei Bobrovsky coming off Saturday's 4-2 loss to Montreal. Toronto hosts New Jersey at Scotiabank Arena on a night that doubles as the Hometown Remix Kick-Off and Hockey Hall of Fame Night.
The Leafs wear the cream-based alternate for the first time in a game, with the franchise's original 1927-style maple leaf crest and navy accents. Stolarz's new blue-and-beige TRUE set is built to match it.
A new set of pads is not something he just straps on, though. Stolarz made that clear this week, and he was blunt about it.
"I would never do fresh gear," he said. He explained that brand-new equipment feels boxy and stiff, with no flexibility, and that it only gets better once it breaks in.
The routine is methodical. A new set goes into a hydrocollator with heat packs to warm the foam, then into the steam room if the team is at the rink, and then comes the work of beating the pads into the shape he wants.
Alter noted that Stolarz likes to collect the gear he gets over the years and gives the pads to his brother, who uses them in a men's league.
That brother is Todd, who is a bit shorter than his NHL sibling and has been able to use nearly all of the hand-me-downs. The skates are the exception, because they don't fit.
Why Stolarz gets the Devils start
The crease decision is the bigger story. After Stolarz stopped 26 of 28 in Vancouver, the Maple Leafs faced a real goalie call, and this start fits the way it has been trending.
Stolarz is 5-1-0 through six starts and has allowed two goals or fewer in four of them. Bobrovsky sits at 3-5-2, and Toronto has lost two straight at 8-8-2. Giving the hot goalie the night against a team on a four-game winning streak is the right call.
Bobrovsky stopped 24 of 28 against the Canadiens, and William Nylander said he bailed out the team in that one. The Devils are also on the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Islanders 5-4 in overtime Saturday.
There is a personal side too. Stolarz was born in Edison, New Jersey, raised in Jackson Township, and grew up watching Martin Brodeur. Facing the Devils in a jersey that nods to Toronto's own history gives him an unusual night.
He also sits two assists shy of the franchise record for assists by a goalie in a season, with three through six games. Whether he gets there tonight depends on how often his teammates find the net.
Quick hits
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Kevin Papetti says the league will come down hard on Tom Wilson's hit on Sandis Vilmanis. The Capitals are now waiting on NHL Player Safety, and a long wait would hurt.
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WINNIPEG JETS: A post on X this morning says defenseman Elias Salomonsson will be away from the Jets indefinitely for personal reasons. No other details are known.
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DETROIT RED WINGS: Dylan Larkin's banner outside Little Caesars Arena has been removed, according to a post Ansar Khan shared this morning. Fans will want to know why.
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CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Spittin' Chiclets reports the Blackhawks held a players-only meeting after last night's 9-2 loss in Carolina. After a score like that, it was overdue.
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SIDNEY CROSBY: Crosby moved past Marcel Dionne into sixth on the NHL's all-time points list as the Penguins beat the Kings 5-2 last night.
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Should Anthony Stolarz keep the Maple Leafs' number one job over Sergei Bobrovsky?
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