Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz gets real about 'passionate rivalry' between Montreal Canadiens and Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in a preseason game on Saturday. Montreal took control early with goals from Alex Newhook and Riley Kidney. John Tavares cut the lead with a power-play goal, but Lane Hutson answered quickly.

Sean Farrell added another in the third before William Nylander scored late for Toronto. Montreal outshot the Leafs 29-23 and made good use of their power plays. Farrell, Newhook, and Tavares were named the three stars.

After the game, goaltender Anthony Stolarz spoke about the atmosphere and the rivalry between the two clubs.

“Yeah, it’s definitely a rivalry for sure. You could hear it in the stands tonight,” Stolarz said. [1:50 onwards] “So, we’re looking forward to that regular season opener. So, it’s a passionate rivalry and both teams are going to play hard out there.”

The Maple Leafs and Canadiens have a long history that stretches back more than a century. Montreal was founded in 1909 and Toronto in 1917. They became the face of Canadian hockey for decades, especially during the Original Six era. Their meetings often carried extra meaning, tied to the identities of the two cities as well as their success on the ice.

Stolarz is now looking forward to starting the season against the Montreal Canadiens on October 8.

---

Anthony Stolarz stays focused amid contract talks with Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz is not worried about his contract talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The goaltender is entering the last year of a two-year, $5 million deal and wants an extension done before the season starts.

“He calls me probably every two or three days to kind of just give me an update,” Stolarz said on Friday. [7:35] “But I let him take care of it. He's negotiated thousands of contracts. I'm just focused on getting ready for the start of the season, get a few games in here, and looking forward to that opener.”

He said his agent keeps him updated every few days, but he prefers to focus on preparing for games.

“Hopefully something can get worked out here,” Stolarz added. [8:02] “But, like I said, I kind of just leave it to the agent. That’s kind of why we give them the big bucks to do that. My job is to focus on playing.”

Stolarz is coming off a strong 2024–25 season with Toronto, finishing with a 21-8-3 record, a 2.14 goals-against average, and a league-best .926 save percentage. He also recorded four shutouts and started every playoff game for the Maple Leafs in round one. His consistent play helped Toronto move past Ottawa before they faced Florida.