Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett insisted there was no intent behind his elbow to the head of Anthony Stolarz that sent the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender to the hospital.
"From my point of view, I'm just taking the puck to the net," Bennett said Tuesday, per TSN. "I didn't even know that we made contact until after, and I'm on the power play, I'm trying to score, I'm taking the puck to the net. And that's really all there was to it."
Bennett added that he considered the collision more of a "bump," according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
"There's no intent. Stolie is a great friend of mine, but when I hear that he went to the hospital, of course, I feel bad," he said.
Bennett's elbow struck Stolarz's head in the second period of the Leafs' 5-4 Game 1 win Monday. Stolarz, who also took a puck to his facemask earlier in the contest, left the ice shortly after vomiting near the bench.
Although some Leafs players and staff expressed their frustration with the play, Bennett - who has a history with Toronto after concussing Matthew Knies in the 2023 playoffs - reportedly isn't expected to face supplemental discipline from the NHL. Panthers coach Paul Maurice agreed with the league not getting involved and emphasized his team's respect for Stolarz, a member of Florida's Stanley Cup-winning team last spring.
"Most of this, for me, is tempered by the fact that Stolie is one of our guys. We love that guy," Maurice said, per Johnston. "If I had thought that Sam had crossed the line or an edge, I'd probably be more careful with my words. I just didn't think it happened."
Bennett said he spoke briefly with Stolarz after learning he went to the hospital.
"I reached out to him. He responded. Obviously, (you) never want to see an injury like that," he said.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed Tuesday that Stolarz has been released from the hospital, adding that the 31-year-old is with the team and "doing well," according to TSN's Mark Masters.
However, Berube couldn't provide a firm update on the netminder's health, responding with "we'll see" when asked if Stolarz will play in Game 2. The bench boss gave a similar answer when questioned about a possible concussion diagnosis for the goalie.
