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Dustin Tokarski

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Dustin Tokarski
Tokarski with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2018
Born (1989-09-16) September 16, 1989 (age 35)
Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
AHL team
Former teams		 Chicago Wolves
Tampa Bay Lightning
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
Buffalo Sabres
Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL draft 122nd overall, 2008
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career 2009–present

Dustin Michael Tokarski (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, but grew up in neighbouring Watson, which he considers his hometown.[1][2]

Tokarski led the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League (WHL) to the 2008 Memorial Cup and was named the top goaltender and most valuable player of the tournament. Tokarski then backstopped Canada to their fifth consecutive gold medal at the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round, 122nd overall, at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He has won the American Hockey League's (AHL) Calder Cup twice: first with the Norfolk Admirals in 2012, and then with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019.

Playing career

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Minor/junior

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Tokarski played midget for the Prince Albert Mintos and led the team to capture the Telus Cup, Canada's midget hockey championship in 2006. Tokarski had three shutouts and a 1.98 goals against average (GAA) for the Mintos.[3] He was added to the protected list of the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Spokane Chiefs in December. He played a combined 30 games in his first season with Spokane, posting a record of 13 wins, 11 losses and 2 overtime losses. Tokarski then took over as the Chiefs' starting goaltender in 2007–08. He played every game for the Chiefs in the playoffs, leading them to the Ed Chynoweth Cup by conceding just 31 goals in 21 playoff games.[4] The Chiefs' title earned them a berth in the 2008 Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. With Tokarski in net, Spokane won all three games in the round robin to earn a berth in the championship game. Tokarski made 53 saves in the final as Spokane defeated the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Kitchener Rangers to claim the Chiefs' second Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.[5] His performance earned him the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the tournament's outstanding goaltender, and the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player.[6] Tokarski was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.[7]

Professional

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Tokarski with the Hamilton Bulldogs during the 2013–14 season.

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Tokarski made the transition to professional hockey during the 2009–10 season, primarily playing for the Lightning's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. In 55 games for the Admirals, Tokarski amassed a 27–25–3 record. He made his NHL debut on January 19, 2010, against the New York Rangers, replacing Antero Niittymäki in the third period after the latter had surrendered six goals.[8]

Tokarski made his first NHL start on March 8, 2012, against the Washington Capitals. He had 29 saves on 32 shots and let three pucks by for a 3–2 Lightning overtime loss. He and the Admirals would eventually go on to win the Calder Cup as AHL champions.

Montreal Canadiens

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On February 14, 2013, Tokarski was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for goaltender Cédrick Desjardins.[9]

On March 5, 2014, Tokarski played his first game with Montreal, a 4–3 shootout victory over the Anaheim Ducks. On March 16, he recorded his first NHL shutout in a 2–0 win over the Buffalo Sabres, stopping all 29 of Buffalo's shots. On 19 May, it was announced Tokarski would be starting in place of Montreal's Carey Price due to a suspected sprained knee Price sustained against the New York Rangers.[10] He started Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Rangers but stumbled in his first playoff game with a 3–1 loss. He remained solid in the third period but the Canadiens had problems getting goal scoring. In Game 3, Tokarski made 35 saves on 37 shots to help the Canadiens win 3–2 in overtime, cutting the Rangers' series lead to 2–1. In Game 4, he played well and had a good chance to have a win but lost in overtime, 3–2. In Game 5, he then led the team to a 7–4 win, staving off elimination and reducing the Rangers' lead to 3–2 in the series.[11] In Game 6, he stopped 31 shots on 32 shots to give his team a chance to win.[12] Although the Canadiens lost the series 4–2 against New York, Tokarski's performance earned high praises.[13]

Following the conclusion of the Canadiens' 2014–15 pre-season, goaltender Peter Budaj was traded to the Winnipeg Jets on October 6, 2014, effectively leaving Tokarski as Carey Price's backup for the regular season.[14]

Tokarski with the Montreal Canadiens in 2015

At the beginning of the 2015–16 season, on October 5, 2015, Tokarski was placed on waivers, ending his tenure as backup goaltender for the NHL club.[15] After fellow Canadiens' prospect Mike Condon had a strong showing in training camp, the team took him over Tokarski.[16]

Anaheim Ducks

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On January 7, 2016, Tokarski was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Max Friberg.[17] His lone appearance for the Ducks came on October 28, 2016, where he stopped all five shots faced in relief during a 4–0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[18] Tokarski went 17–8–1 for the Ducks' AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

Philadelphia Flyers

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On October 9, 2017, Tokarski was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for future considerations.[19]

New York Rangers

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Tokarski during his run to the Calder Cup with the Checkers in 2019.

On August 20, 2018, as a free agent, Tokarski signed a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Rangers.[20] He was assigned to the Rangers AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, to begin the 2018–19 season. Tokarski was rotated through starts during the season with the Wolf Pack, and made 21 appearances for 10 wins. He was recalled to the Rangers' roster on two occasions however did not play. On February 28, 2019, Tokarski was re-assigned by the Rangers to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. In a related move the Checkers NHL affiliate, the Carolina Hurricanes re-assigned prospect Josh Wesley from the Checkers to the Wolf Pack.[21] In joining the Checkers, adding a veteran presence as the team's backup, Tokarski went undefeated in 7 regular season games and 5 playoff contests to help the Checkers claim the Calder Cup, his second AHL championship.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

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On July 8, 2019, Tokarski signed a one-year contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He followed Mike Vellucci, who was his head coach with the Checkers.[22]

Buffalo Sabres

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On November 4, 2020, Tokarski joined his sixth NHL organization, signing as a free agent to a two-year, two-way contract with the Buffalo Sabres.[23] He made his first NHL appearance since the 2016–17 season on March 22, 2021 against the New York Rangers.[24][25] On April 15, 2021, Tokarski earned his first NHL win since December 2015 in a 5–2 victory over the Washington Capitals.[26]

Pittsburgh Penguins

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On July 13, 2022, Tokarski rejoined the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, signing a one year, one-way deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins for an average annual value of $775,000.[27]

Return to Buffalo

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As a free agent at the conclusion of his contract with the Penguins, Tokarski opted to return to previous club, the Buffalo Sabres, in signing a one-year, two-way contract on July 1, 2023.[28] In the 2023–24 season, Tokarski was assigned to the AHL for the duration of his contract with the Sabres, posting 11 wins through 24 appearances for the Rochester Americans.

Leaving the Sabres at the conclusion of his contract, Tokarski as a free agent remained un-signed over the summer. Unable to land a contract following a tryout within the Ottawa Senators organization, Tokarski began the 2024–25 season without a club.[29] On November 2, 2024, Tokarski was signed to a PTO with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.[30]

International play

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Medal record
Representing Canada Canada
ice hockey
World Junior Championship
Gold medal – first place 2009 Canada

Tokarski was named to Canada's roster for the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He struggled during the tournament, entering the final as the eighth-best tournament goaltender statistically, though he led Canada to thrilling 7–4 and 6–5 wins over the United States and Russia, respectively.[31] Tokarski played his best game in the final, posting 39 saves on 40 shots as Canada defeated Sweden 5–1 to win its fifth consecutive gold medal.[32]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2006–07 Spokane Chiefs WHL 30 13 11 2 1674 78 2 2.80 .903 6 2 4 364 17 0 2.80 .901
2007–08 Spokane Chiefs WHL 45 30 10 3 2543 87 6 2.05 .922 21 16 5 1352 31 3 1.38 .944
2008–09 Spokane Chiefs WHL 54 34 18 2 3264 107 7 1.97 .937 12 7 5 812 23 1 1.70 .947
2009–10 Norfolk Admirals AHL 55 27 25 3 3319 139 4 2.51 .915 — — — — — — — —
2009–10 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 2 0 0 0 44 3 0 4.06 .813 — — — — — — — —
2010–11 Norfolk Admirals AHL 46 21 20 4 2691 119 2 2.65 .901 6 2 4 355 13 1 2.19 .924
2011–12 Norfolk Admirals AHL 45 32 11 0 2583 96 5 2.23 .913 14 12 2 866 21 3 1.46 .944
2011–12 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 5 1 3 1 244 14 0 3.45 .879 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Syracuse Crunch AHL 33 18 8 4 1881 77 3 2.46 .900 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 15 6 8 0 836 31 3 2.22 .927 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 41 20 16 3 2375 94 1 2.38 .919 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Montreal Canadiens NHL 3 2 0 0 163 5 1 1.84 .946 5 2 3 300 13 0 2.60 .916
2014–15 Montreal Canadiens NHL 17 6 6 4 1005 46 0 2.75 .910 — — — — — — — —
2014–15 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 2 1 1 0 119 5 0 2.52 .919 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 St. John's IceCaps AHL 10 3 3 4 613 29 0 2.84 .909 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 Montreal Canadiens NHL 6 1 3 0 226 12 0 3.18 .878 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 San Diego Gulls AHL 2 1 1 0 102 4 0 2.35 .920 — — — — — — — —
2016–17 San Diego Gulls AHL 27 17 8 1 1578 77 1 2.93 .898 2 0 0 30 0 0 0.00 1.000
2016–17 Anaheim Ducks NHL 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 0.00 1.000 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 39 20 8 2 2127 94 5 2.65 .915 3 1 1 130 9 0 4.17 .859
2018–19 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 21 10 6 2 1141 59 1 3.10 .901 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 Charlotte Checkers AHL 7 7 0 0 419 8 1 1.14 .956 5 5 0 275 8 0 1.74 .935
2019–20 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 18 9 5 2 915 30 1 1.97 .924 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Rochester Americans AHL 2 1 1 0 120 5 0 2.51 .932 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Buffalo Sabres NHL 13 2 8 2 730 43 0 3.54 .904 — — — — — — — —
2021–22 Buffalo Sabres NHL 29 10 12 5 1672 91 1 3.27 .899 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 36 12 16 7 2118 95 1 2.69 .910 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 4 1 2 0 210 12 0 3.44 .897 — — — — — — — —
2023–24 Rochester Americans AHL 24 11 9 3 1408 78 0 3.32 .890 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 80 23 34 12 4,303 226 2 3.15 .902 5 2 3 300 13 0 2.60 .916

International

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Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2009 Canada WJC 4 4 0 0 249 11 0 2.65 .906
Junior totals 4 4 0 0 249 11 0 2.65 .906

Awards and honours

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Tokarski with the Syracuse Crunch in 2012
Award Year
Midget
Telus Cup Championship 2006
CHL
Memorial Cup (Spokane Chiefs) 2008
Memorial Cup All-Star Team 2008 [33]
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy 2008
Hap Emms Memorial Trophy 2008
WHL West Second All-Star Team 2009
AHL
Calder Cup (Norfolk Admirals) 2012
All-Star Game 2014
Calder Cup (Charlotte Checkers) 2019 [34]

References

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  1. ^ Marc DeFoy (May 25, 2014). "Chicane de clochers". Le Journal de Montréal (in French). p. 104.
  2. ^ "Canadiens Dustin Tokarski thrills hometown fans". CBC News. May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  3. ^ "Dustin Tokarski prospect profile". hockeysfuture.com. April 3, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
  4. ^ Flett, Cory; Watts, Jessie (eds.). 2008–09 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 122.
  5. ^ Bell, Aaron. "2008 Mastercard Memorial Cup history". Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  6. ^ Beasley, Mike. "Spokane captures second Memorial Cup championship". Hockey Now. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  7. ^ "Dustin Tokarski player card". Tampa Bay Lightning. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  8. ^ "Lightning vs. Rangers - Box Score - January 19, 2010".
  9. ^ "Canadiens acquire Tokarski from Lightning". Montreal Canadiens. February 14, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "Dustin Tokarski makes NHL playoff debut". CBC. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  11. ^ Tokarski makes believers of Habs, ESPN
  12. ^ "Canadiens vs. Rangers Game 6 Boxscore". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  13. ^ Basu, Arpon. "Canadiens provide no support for Tokarski". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  14. ^ "Canadiens trade Budaj to Jets". National Hockey League. October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  15. ^ "The Montreal Canadiens place Dustin Tokarski on waivers, finalize roster". Eyes On The Prize, Vox Media, Inc. October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  16. ^ Zwolinski, Mark (October 7, 2015). "New Canadiens backup goalie Mike Condon was once focused on Wall Street for his career". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  17. ^ "Canadiens acquire right winger Max Friberg from the Anaheim Ducks in return for Dustin Tokarski". nhl.com. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  18. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Anaheim Ducks - Box Score - October 28, 2016 | FOX Sports". Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  19. ^ "Flyers acquire Tokarski from Ducks". The Sports Network. October 9, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  20. ^ "Rangers agree to terms with Dustin Tokarski". New York Rangers. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  21. ^ "Checkers get Tokarski from Rangers". American Hockey League. February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  22. ^ "Penguins sign Goaltender Dustin Tokarski". Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  23. ^ "Sabres sign Goaltender Dustin Tokarski". CBS Sports. November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  24. ^ "Sabres' Dustin Tokarski: Ascends to active roster". CBSSports.com. March 22, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  25. ^ "Sabres' Dustin Tokarski: Forced into action Monday". CBSSports.com. March 23, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  26. ^ "Sabres' Dustin Tokarski: Earns first win since 2015-16". CBSSports.com. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  27. ^ "Penguins sign goaltender Dustin Tokarski to a one-year contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  28. ^ "Tokarski returns to Buffalo on 1-year contract". Buffalo Sabres. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  29. ^ "Dustin Tokarski released from tryout with Senators". CBS Sports. October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  30. ^ "Ex-Sabres goaltender signs with new club". The Hockey News. November 2, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  31. ^ Love, Noah (January 4, 2009). "Canada's Tokarski to start in net against Sweden". National Post. Retrieved January 10, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  32. ^ "Canada defeats Sweden to win fifth straight WJHC gold". TSN. January 6, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
  33. ^ "Memorial Cup All-Star Teams". Memorial Cup. May 23, 2014. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  34. ^ "Check and Mate! Charlotte wins Calder Cup". American Hockey League. June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
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