Leafs’ Joseph Woll leaves game with lower-body injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that goaltender Joseph Woll will not return to Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes due to a lower-body injury.
Maple Leafs G Joseph Woll will not return to tonight’s game (lower body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 5, 2025It’s unclear what caused the injury to Woll, as he played the entirety of the first two periods for the Leafs, but he did not return for the third period, with the team confirming his absence prior to the start of the frame.
Woll leaves the game having stopped 22 of 23 shots, good for a .957 save percentage and +1.48 goals saved above expected, and was in line for the win with the Leafs up 4-1.
At this point in time, there’s no further update on the specifics of the injury, the severity of it, and how much time Woll is expected to miss. The Leafs don’t play again until Saturday at home against the Montreal Canadiens, and are wrapping up a six-game road trip with the game in Carolina, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Woll isn’t given a full evaluation until the team returns to Toronto.
Woll has already missed the first 18 games of the Leafs season due to a personal leave, and had only played seven games heading into Thursday’s affair. He had performed well in those seven games with a 3-3-1 record and a .924 SV%, but he also has a -0.49 5v5 GSAx.
Dennis Hildeby replaced Woll in the third period, which gives him a career-high seventh appearance in an NHL season, his second season of his career. He’s performed much better for the Leafs this year, as despite a 1-2-1 record, he has a .914 SV% and +2.12 5v5 GSAx.
Should Woll miss a significant period of time, the Leafs will need to recall someone from their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, as Anthony Stolarz has missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury, and has shown no signs of a return. Artur Akhtyamov has gotten most of the starts for the Marlies, and was previously recalled when both Stolarz and Woll were out, so it’s highly likely he’d get the recall.