Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll will join the AHL's Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint as he prepares to return to NHL action. Woll rejoined the team on Oct. 24 after a month-long leave for a personal family matter. He left during training camp on Sept. 23 and has been easing back into practices.
Joseph Woll, the Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender, is taking the next step in his recovery by reporting to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League for game action. This conditioning stint aims to help him regain game pace before rejoining the NHL roster.
Woll returned to the Maple Leafs on Oct. 24 following a leave of absence that began on Sept. 23 to handle a personal family matter. He has skated periodically during his time away and participated in practices over the past two weeks. On Friday, he served as the second goalie alongside Anthony Stolarz, while Cayden Primeau practiced separately with goalie coach Curtis Sanford.
"I think pace, I've found that is something that is important to get up, especially if you are coming off an offseason," Woll said Friday. "So pace is a big one, and then I just think there is an eagerness to get back out there. I've had enough idle time sitting around. Don't want to be practicing too long, just want to get out and get going."
Woll expects to join the Marlies on Saturday, with the team scheduled to play at Lehigh Valley that day and at Grand Rapids on Nov. 12. Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube noted Woll's limited practice time but expressed optimism about the AHL games.
"(Woll) is fine. He really hasn’t had that much (practice time)," Berube said. "He's getting work, which is good. He's going to go down and play some Marlies (games) here, which will be really good for him to get into action. That's where I think he will start making some real strides getting in games. … I wanted Woll to have the whole net today."
Regarding his leave, Woll declined to provide specifics, emphasizing a focus on hockey. "I've kind of decided that all I'm going to say about my time away is that I'm disappointed to have missed time and I'm very happy to be back, so I'd really like all the focus to be on my job to do here," he said. He thanked management, including general manager Brad Treliving, teammates, and the media for respecting his privacy.
In Woll's absence, Stolarz has started 11 of the Maple Leafs' 14 games, posting a 6-4-1 record with a 3.11 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. Primeau is 2-1-0 with a 4.30 GAA and .838 save percentage in three appearances. Last season, Woll started 41 regular-season games, while Stolarz started 33. Stolarz is set to start Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins at Scotiabank Arena.
"It’s exciting for sure. It's great to have him back," Stolarz said of Woll. "I've said before, we have an unbelievable relationship, so just to have him around again, that competitive nature he brings to our team, his high energy, it's nice to have him back in the room."