Craig Berube takes SWIPE at NHL officials after no penalty call on Sam Bennett’s hit on Anthony Stolarz in Game 1

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube expressed that Sam Bennett's hit on Anthony Stolarz was "clearly a penalty" and took a dig at the officials.

Craig Berube takes SWIPE at NHL officials after no penalty call on Sam Bennett’s hit on Anthony Stolarz in Game 1

Sam Bennett, Craig Berube, and Anthony Stolarz (Image via Yardbarker/X/@BR_OpenIce)

Sam Bennett‘s elbow hit on Anthony Stolarz became the main highlight of a thrilling 5-4 Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers. After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube took a massive swipe at the NHL officials for no-penalty call on this hit.

Earlier in the first period, Stolarz took the puck to his face through a shot from Sam Reinhardt. This shot saw the mask of Stolarz fall off, which led to an immediate whistle from the referees to stop the play.

In the second period, Sam Bennett collided with Stolarz near the Maple Leafs’ goal. During this collision, the elbow of the Panthers’ star would hit at the head of Stolarz, leaving him down on the ground. After a few minutes on the field, he was taken out of the game and was replaced by Joseph Woll.

As per reports, Stolarz suffered a concussion during this game and even threw up near the Maple Leafs’ bench. He was later stretchered out of the Scotiabank Arena and was transferred to a nearby local medical facility.

Following the game, coach Berube was asked about his thoughts regarding the hit from Bennett. The Maple Leafs’ coach proceeded to take a swipe at the officials for a no-penalty call on this and expressed that it was “clearly a penalty.”

Elbow to the head. Clear as day… I’m not sure why there’s not a call on it, but, you know, I get it, they miss calls, but it’s clearly it’s clearly a penalty.

Craig Berube told the reporters

Berube was later asked whether there should be some sort of disciplinary action against Bennett following the no-penalty call. The 59-year-old expressed that this was something up to the league and he would not make any comments regarding this.

Panthers HC Paul Maurice comments on Sam Bennett-Anthony Stolarz incident

The last thing the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted at this moment was an injury to a key player. Their goaltender, Anthony Stolarz, has started all 7 games for the team in this playoffs so far. His participation in the next game is doubtful now after he exited Game 1 following a hit from Sam Bennett. Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice later commented on this incident.

Sam Bennett, Paul Maurice and Anthony Stolarz
Sam Bennett, Paul Maurice, and Anthony Stolarz (Image via ESPN/Sporting News/Sportsnet)

While speaking with the media after the game, Maurice hoped for a speedy recovery for Stolarz. Last year, he was a part of the Panthers’ Stanley Cup-winning team and served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky under the management of Maurice.

We are hopeful for Anthony and his health. We love that guy. We hope he gets better really fast.

Paul Maurice told the reporters

As for the hit from Sam Bennett, the Panthers’ head coach simply claimed that the referee was standing right there when the incident happened. He further added the league would do its thing if necessary, regarding a potential disciplinary action against Bennett, whereas he would continue to coach the team for the next game.

Will Sam Bennett be suspended for his hit?

Sam Bennett’s hit on Anthony Stolarz during Game 1 has become a hot topic of discussion among fans and experts. Several fans on social media demanded for a suspension of him. Will he be suspended though?

Sam Bennett
Sam Bennett (Image via Daily Faceoff)

As per NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, like every other incident, this hit from Bennett on Stolarz was being discussed by the NHL Department of Player Safety (DoPS) internally. However, as of now, there has been no clear indication from Player Safety that this hit from him warrants an action or not.

This is not the first time that Sam Bennett has found himself in hot water for a hit in a playoff series between these two teams. In 2023, he delivered a massive hit on Matthew Knies. At that moment, Knies was ruled out for 2 games due to a concussion, whereas there was no fine on Bennett.

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