Leafs Rookie Dennis Hildeby Makes a Statement in Return to Action for Toronto Marlies

After Anthony Stolarz was ruled out for 4-6 weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee, the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to call up veteran netminder Matt Murray over Dennis Hildeby.

Hildeby started the 2024-25 season with the NHL club after Joseph Woll was placed on the IR. However, it seemed like the Leafs preferred a seasoned veteran with a ton of experience, especially considering the length of Stolarz's absence.

Murray was sent back down to the Toronto Marlies after claiming his first victory in well over a year and a half, but it was a move that had more to do with his waiver exemption timeline than anything else.

Murray is allowed to move between NHL and AHL without touching waivers for 10 games or 30 days.

Hildeby was brought up in his stead and backed up Woll in the final game before the Christmas break. Murray was always expected to be recalled and the Maple Leafs followed through on Thursday with the club about to embark on their back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals, respectively.

With Murray coming back up, Hildeby went back down to the Marlies and essentially played his heart out as he turned in a 31-save shutout performance as they took down the Belleville Senators with relative ease by a score of 3-0.

He was named the first star of the game and improved his record to 3-2-2 while also improving his peripheral stats, now the owner of a 2.33 GAA and a .914 SV% on the season.

Hildeby's statement game shouldn't come as a surprise and the organization is fully aware of the skills the 6'7 goaltender possesses. However, for the time being, they're more than happy with allowing him to develop his game in the minors in a larger role alongside fellow prospect Artur Akhtyamov.

Murray is expected to start one of the games this weekend and should be fixed in as Stolarz's placeholder until his eventual return.