Panthers centre Sam Bennett denies ill intent on Stolarz hit in Game 1

The Toronto Maple Leafs took a 1-0 series lead Monday night with a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers. But unfortunately, the victory was overshadowed by the loss of goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who left the game midway through the second period after taking an elbow to the head from Panthers centre Sam Bennett. He was reportedly later taken out of Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Now, the fallout from the incident continues in the light of day. On Tuesday morning, it was reported that Bennett would not be facing any additional discipline for the play, despite a history of dirty playoff hits. It was also confirmed that Stolarz is now out of the hospital, but we are still awaiting an update on his condition.

After foregoing post-game media Monday night following the incident, Bennett is now addressing the situation publicly. Per Sportsnet’s Anna Dua, the centreman is denying any ill intent, and said he already spoke to Stolarz.

“I heard that he went to the hospital last night and Stolie’s a good friend of mine,” Bennett said. “Reached out to him and he responded … never want to see an injury like that. From my point of view I’m just taking a puck to the net, I didn’t even know we made contact until after.”

Speaking Tuesday morning, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice added on to Bennett’s comments, saying that Stolarz is still one of their guys despite wearing a different jersey.