NHL Player Safety makes a decision on Anthony Stolarz's dirty play

The 5 p.m. ET deadline for a hearing passed on Monday with no announcement, which means Stolarz faces no suspension and no fine.

The incident happened Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena, where Stolarz swung his stick into the back of Rodrigues' leg.

No penalty was called on the ice, which made the play a natural candidate for review. Plenty of fans expected the league to at least hand down a fine.

Slashes to the legs carry real injury risk, and Player Safety has spent years talking about cleaning up dangerous stick work. A goaltender making that kind of contact only adds to the optics.

By staying quiet, the league effectively decided the play did not meet the threshold for supplemental discipline.

Player Safety rarely explains a choice when it skips a hearing, so there is no official reasoning to dissect. Without a video breakdown, fans are left to debate the call on their own, and that conversation is unlikely to fade soon.

Leafs supporters have long argued their team gets harsher treatment than most. This time, the opposite appears true, and critics of the department will likely cite the outcome as another example of inconsistency in how plays are judged around the league.

Toronto has little reason to celebrate. The club sits at 8-9-2 and has struggled to string together convincing performances, leaving a tough road ahead in a crowded Atlantic Division.

Stolarz remains eligible to play as the Leafs prepare to face the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

A loss to a team of that caliber would only add to the frustration surrounding a group that badly needs a spark, and it would pull attention back to the standings rather than the discipline debate. Until then, the question remains whether Player Safety got it right.

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