The Toronto Maple Leafs had to act this weekend, as goaltender Ilya Samsonov was forced out of Toronto’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Samsonov left the game with a knee injury, and Erik Kallgren had to step in. The Swede stopped all seven shots he faced, but it’s not looking good on the goalie front for the Maple Leafs.
Toronto selected goaltender Keith Petruzzelli in the third round (No. 88 overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, but since, he’s only played in the AHL. This season, he owns a 6-0-0 record for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, with a GAA of 2.31 and a .922 save percentage.
With Samsonov out with his knee injury, the Maple Leafs signed Petruzzelli to a two-year, entry-level contract. It’s a dream come true for every player, and the best part is that Petruzzelli’s reaction to getting signed to the NHL was caught on camera.
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After the Marlies game in the AHL this weekend, the team’s head coach held a meeting with the players.
“We talk to you guys all the time about coming here, getting better, growing, improving, and good things will happen. Unfortunately, this is hockey, sometimes injuries happen, and tonight they did. So tonight, Keith Petruzzelli is going to sign an NHL contact,” the coach said.
The team just went wild, and they all started cheering for Petruzzelli, who had no clue about the news before.
The scenes from the locker room are pure joy, and it’s just what hockey is all about.
Talking to reporters afterward, Petruzzelli said he’s just here to” have a good day, every day.”
“Wherever things take me, they’ll take me. I think I’m ready. We’ll find out,” Petruzzelli said with laughter.
