In order to comply with salary cap rules, the Toronto Maple Leafs had to offer a one-day amateur contract to University of Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bishop for Saturday night’s game.
This was reported by several media on Saturday morning.
Maple Leafs goalkeeper Peter Mrazek injured his thigh in Thursday’s game and will be out indefinitely. General Manager Kyle Dupas doesn’t have enough leeway under the salary cap to call in Cerberus at the school club, the Toronto Marlies, to help Jack Campbell.
The rules state that a team must play less than one player in at least one game – the minimum number of players being 2 goalkeepers, 6 defenders and 12 attackers – before an emergency call can be made. Which means that Leaf preferred to sign Bishop as the second goalkeeper in the match rather than removing a defender or striker from the roster.
It also means that the Leafs will be able to call up Marleys goalkeeper Michael Hutchinson for their next game on Monday.
Alex Bishop, a former St. John C. Dogs and Val Fours in the Quebec Junior Hockey League, has played with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues since 2019. In practice for the Leafs on Saturday morning. He will be on the bench at rest at Campbell in the evening.