Due to injuries and cap constraints, the Leafs were forced to sign a university goalie to an ATO contract for tonight&#8217;s game against the Canadiens.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> have signed G Jett Alexander to an amateur tryout agreement. He will serve as the club’s backup goaltender tonight.
&mdash; Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1644812918087622661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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If the name Jett Alexander sounds familiar, this is not his first time being the EBUG goalie for a game in Toronto. He last fulfilled this role on December 1, 2021, when the Avalanche were hampered by injuries and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/who-is-colorado-avalanche-emergency-goaltender-jett-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">forced to have Alexander be their backup</a>. He sat on the bench for the entire first period before returning to the press box <a href="https://theathletic.com/2992623/2021/12/02/kind-of-surreal-how-college-student-jett-alexander-became-the-avalanches-temporary-emergency-backup-goalie/?source=user_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">once Colorado&#8217;s expected backup</a>, Justus Annunen, arrived before the second period.
Alexander is coming off his sophomore season with the Toronto Varsity Blues where he posted a 12-7-2 record, three shutouts, a .927 SV%, and a 2.21 GAA. He carried his team to Game 3 of the OUAA quarterfinals where they lost to the Lakehead Thunderwolves. In that span, he went 3-3 with a .918 SV% and a 2.72 GAA.
The Leafs have Alexander signed to be the backup to Ilya Samsonov tonight because Matt Murray was not cleared to return tonight. Heading into this game, <a href="https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1644830502145212416" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toronto has just $28,750 in LTIR cap space</a> and could only use one of Joseph Woll or Wayne Simmonds. Since Simmonds is going to play, they subsequently did not have enough space in the interim to bring up another goalie. This also allows them to <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/status/1644815597396533248" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign Matthew Knies as early as tomorrow</a> if he chooses to join the team.
Alongside Murray, the Leafs are going into tonight&#8217;s game without Calle Jarnkrok (injured), Morgan Rielly, and TJ Brodie (both are healthy scratches). Their lineup tonight is no doubt <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/matt-murrays-uncertainty-poses-question-of-wholl-back-up-for-maple-leafs-on-saturday-night" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">going to have a completely different look</a> as a result, with the likes of Simmonds and Erik Gustafsson expected to slot in.
It&#8217;s unlikely that Alexander gets any ice time in this game, but his presence on the bench will surely make things a bit more intriguing.
Stats from <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elite Prospects</a>.

Due to injuries and cap constraints, the Leafs were forced to sign a university goalie to an ATO contract for tonight's game against the Canadiens.

https://twitter.com/LeafsPR/status/1644812918087622661

If the name Jett Alexander sounds familiar, this is not his first time being the EBUG goalie for a game in Toronto. He last fulfilled this role on December 1, 2021, when the Avalanche were hampered by injuries and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/who-is-colorado-avalanche-emergency-goaltender-jett-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">forced to have Alexander be their backup</a>. He sat on the bench for the entire first period before returning to the press box <a href="https://theathletic.com/2992623/2021/12/02/kind-of-surreal-how-college-student-jett-alexander-became-the-avalanches-temporary-emergency-backup-goalie/?source=user_shared_article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">once Colorado's expected backup</a>, Justus Annunen, arrived before the second period.

Alexander is coming off his sophomore season with the Toronto Varsity Blues where he posted a 12-7-2 record, three shutouts, a .927 SV%, and a 2.21 GAA. He carried his team to Game 3 of the OUAA quarterfinals where they lost to the Lakehead Thunderwolves. In that span, he went 3-3 with a .918 SV% and a 2.72 GAA.

The Leafs have Alexander signed to be the backup to Ilya Samsonov tonight because Matt Murray was not cleared to return tonight. Heading into this game, <a href="https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1644830502145212416" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toronto has just $28,750 in LTIR cap space</a> and could only use one of Joseph Woll or Wayne Simmonds. Since Simmonds is going to play, they subsequently did not have enough space in the interim to bring up another goalie. This also allows them to <a href="https://twitter.com/mirtle/status/1644815597396533248" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign Matthew Knies as early as tomorrow</a> if he chooses to join the team.

Alongside Murray, the Leafs are going into tonight's game without Calle Jarnkrok (injured), Morgan Rielly, and TJ Brodie (both are healthy scratches). Their lineup tonight is no doubt <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/matt-murrays-uncertainty-poses-question-of-wholl-back-up-for-maple-leafs-on-saturday-night" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">going to have a completely different look</a> as a result, with the likes of Simmonds and Erik Gustafsson expected to slot in.

It's unlikely that Alexander gets any ice time in this game, but his presence on the bench will surely make things a bit more intriguing.

Stats from <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elite Prospects</a>.

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