CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) have recalled former IceRays goaltender Anthony Stolarz from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL), Flyers general manager Ron Hextall announced on Sunday. Stolarz is the second former player to be recalled to the NHL this season and at 21 years old is the youngest to answer the call. He will join the Flyers on Tuesday in Montreal for their next game against the Canadiens.
Stolarz, 21, has appeared in 22 games with Lehigh Valley, earning a 7-10-1 record with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage with two shutouts in his first professional season. The Jackson, N.J., native made his professional debut on Oct. 18, 2014 against the Adirondack Flames, saving 32 of 35 shots in the loss. He earned his first professional win and shutout on Nov. 21 against the Worcester Sharks, saving 36 shots en route to the 4-0 victory. Stolarz was drafted in the 2nd Round (44th overall) by the Flyers in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound goaltender appeared in 50 games with the Corpus Christi IceRays during the 2011-12 season, earning a 23-22-4 record with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Through that season, Stolarz committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha in NCAA Division I and ranked fourth among North American goaltenders in the 2012 NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings. He was drafted following his lone season in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). Following that season, Stolarz completed his junior career with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) over two seasons, earning a 38-8-4 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage after playing eight games with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Stolarz joins goaltender Pheonix Copley as the only two former IceRays players to be recalled to the NHL. Copley was recalled on Jan. 9 by the Washington Capitals, backing up starter Brayden Holtby on Jan. 10 before being reassigned to the Hershey Bears. No former player has seen any ice time for a NHL team.
The IceRays head back on the road on Friday, Feb. 13 to begin a two-game set against the Amarillo Bulls at 7:05 p.m. from the Amarillo Civic Center. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio Corpus Christi and FASTHockey.com. Call the front office at 361-814-7825 for season and individual ticket details or check out the pricing and seating chart online at www.goicerays.com. Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.goicerays.com. In addition, stay connected with the IceRays on Facebook (/CorpusChristiIceRays), Twitter (@goicerays), YouTube (IceRays TV), Instagram (CorpusChristiIceRays), and Vine (@goicerays).
