Dustin Michael Tokarski (born September 16, 1989) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

currently playing for the

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL) while under contract to the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). He was born in Humboldt,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

, but grew up in neighbouring Watson, which he considers his hometown. Tokarski led the Spokane Chiefs of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

(WHL) to the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...

and was named the top goaltender and most valuable player of the tournament. Tokarski then backstopped

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to their fifth consecutive gold medal at the

2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2009 WJHC''), was the 33rd edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was hosted in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Games were held at the Ottawa Civic Centre and Scotiabank Place. The tour ...

. He was originally drafted by the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

in the fifth round, 122nd overall, at the

2008 NHL Entry Draft The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...

. He has won the

's (AHL)

Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...

twice: first with the

Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals has been the name of two professional ice hockey franchises: * Norfolk Admirals (AHL), a team which played in the American Hockey League from 2000 to 2015 *Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) The Norfolk Admirals are a professional ice hock ...

in 2012, and then with the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affi ...

in 2019.

Playing career

Minor/junior

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 Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...

(GAA) for the Mintos. He was added to the protected list of the

(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 The Ed Chynoweth Cup is an ice hockey club championship trophy awarded to the playoff champion of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Originally called the President's Cup when the league was founded in 1966, the trophy was renamed in 2007 to honou ...

by conceding just 31 goals in 21 playoff games. The Chiefs' title earned them a berth in the

2008 Memorial Cup The 2008 Memorial Cup was played in May 2008 in Kitchener, Ontario at the Memorial Auditorium. It was the 90th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Kitchener de ...

, 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 The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

(OHL)'s

Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...

to claim the Chiefs' second

championship in franchise history. His performance earned him the

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy The Hap Emms Memorial Trophy is awarded to the outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup of the Canadian Hockey League. The award is named after Leighton "Hap" Emms, a former NHL player, who had a 33 year presence in the Ontario Hockey Associ ...

as the tournament's outstanding goaltender, and the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player. Tokarski was selected by the

in the fifth round of the

Professional

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tokarski made the transition to professional hockey during the 2009–10 season, primarily playing for the Lightning's

(AHL) affiliate, the

. 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 The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

, replacing

Antero Niittymäki Antero Pertti Elias Niittymäki (; born June 18, 1980) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who last played for TPS of the SM-liiga (Finnish elite league). He additionally played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the P ...

in the third period after the latter had surrendered six goals. Tokarski made his first NHL start on March 8, 2012, against the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

. 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

as AHL champions.

Montreal Canadiens

On February 14, 2013, Tokarski was traded to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

in exchange for goaltender

Cédrick Desjardins Cédrick Desjardins (born September 30, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career Juniors Cédrick Desjardins (nicknamed Cédrick th ...

. 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 team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

in a 2–0 win over the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

, stopping all 29 of Buffalo's shots. On 19 May, it was announced Tokarski would be starting in place of Montreal's

Carey Price Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered to be one of the best goaltenders in the world by many colleagues, fans, ''The ...

due to a suspected sprained knee Price sustained against the New York Rangers. 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. In Game 6, he stopped 31 shots on 32 shots to give his team a chance to win. Although the Canadiens lost the series 4–2 against New York, Tokarski's performance earned high praises. Following the conclusion of the Canadiens' 2014–15 pre-season, goaltender

Peter Budaj Peter Budaj ( ; born 18 September 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender. He had previously played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, which drafted him, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Tam ...

was traded to the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

on October 6, 2014, effectively leaving Tokarski as Carey Price's backup for the

regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of ...

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. After fellow Canadiens' prospect Mike Condon had a strong showing in training camp, the team took him over Tokarski.

Anaheim Ducks

On January 7, 2016, Tokarski was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for

Max Friberg Max Friberg (born November 20, 1992) is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing under contract to Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). Friberg was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round, 143rd overa ...

. 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 The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

. Tokarski went 17–8–1 for the Ducks' AHL affiliate, the

San Diego Gulls The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in San Diego, California, and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks, the Gulls play th ...

Philadelphia Flyers

On October 9, 2017, Tokarski was traded to the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

in exchange for future considerations.

New York Rangers

On August 20, 2018, as a free agent, Tokarski signed a one-year, two-way contract with the

. 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

of the AHL. In a related move the Checkers NHL affiliate, the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

re-assigned prospect Josh Wesley from the Checkers to the Wolf Pack. 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

, his second AHL championship.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

On July 8, 2019, Tokarski signed a one-year contract with the

. He followed

Mike Vellucci Michael George Vellucci (born August 11, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He is currently an assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League. Previously, he was the head coach and general manager ...

, who was his head coach with the Checkers.

Buffalo Sabres

On November 4, 2020, Tokarski joined his sixth NHL organization, signing as a free agent to a two-year, two-way contract with the

. He made his first NHL appearance since the 2016–17 season on March 22, 2021 against the

. On April 15, 2021, Tokarski earned his first NHL win since December 2015 in a 5–2 victory over the

Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 13, 2022, Tokarski rejoined the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, signing a one year, one-way deal with the

for an average annual value of $775,000.

International play

Tokarski was named to

's roster for the

. 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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, respectively. 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.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tokarski, Dustin 1989 births Anaheim Ducks players Buffalo Sabres players Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Charlotte Checkers (2010–) players Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players Hartford Wolf Pack players Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan Lehigh Valley Phantoms players Living people Montreal Canadiens players Norfolk Admirals players Pittsburgh Penguins players Rochester Americans players San Diego Gulls (AHL) players Spokane Chiefs players Sportspeople from Humboldt, Saskatchewan St. John's IceCaps players Syracuse Crunch players Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks Tampa Bay Lightning players Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players