Anthony Stolarz signed his first NHL contract that was longer than two years when the Toronto Maple Leafs gave him a four-year, $15 million deal Sept. 28, 2025, an average annual value of $3.75 million that was set to begin with the 2026-27 season. He joined the Maple Leafs when he signed a two-year, $5 million contract July 2, 2024, part of a whirlwind week that included becoming a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers, a parade and the opening of free agency.

Stolarz earned security in Toronto after playing an NHL career-high 34 games (33 starts) and going 21-8-3 with a 2.14 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and four shutouts in his age 31 season despite missing nearly two months while recovering from knee surgery. He ranked first in save percentage and third in GAA among goalies who played at least 25 games.

The journey has been a long one for Stolarz in a hockey career that included two seasons for London of the Ontario Hockey League, the 2013 OHL championship and back-to-back Memorial Cup appearances. The second-round pick (No. 45) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 NHL Draft played for the United States team that finished fifth at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, for Lehigh Valley and San Diego in the American Hockey League, and 142 regular-season games for the Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Panthers and Maple Leafs before signing his four-year contract. He signed a one-year, one-way contract with Florida on July 1, 2023, and emerged as a viable backup to Sergei Bobrovsky for a Stanley Cup-winning team three years after winning bronze at the 2021 IIHF World Championship.