Flyers prospect Anthony Stolarz grows through adversity

In a story appearing on the Flyers' web site, NHL.com's Adam Kimelman discusses how goalie prospect Anthony Stolarz was able to learn resolve and gain more experience during a season of ups and down.

Stolarz, a 2012 second-round Flyers draft pick, planned to go the college route and attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha, but playing time became an issue as he was the youngest player in a three-goalie rotation. The situation was unpleasant, for Stolarz and the Flyers.

"As a goalie, it's tough," Stolarz explained, "there's only one guy that can have the net and there's three of us."

Stolarz's fate changed when he decided to sign with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in January, a team that had aggressively tried to recruit him before he started at UNO.

The Knights were on an impressive winning streak, which made it an appealing destination. But Stolarz was more excited about working with London goalie coach Bill Dark, writes Kimelman.

"Just being able to work with Bill Dark was another thing," Stolarz said. "You look at the goalies he's worked with, Michael Houser, Steve Mason, Igor Bobkov - just a tremendous list of guys that are excelling at the pro level."

Between college, the OHL and the Memorial Cup, Kimelman writes that Stolarz played 49 games last season and came through in good shape.

"He had ups and downs and I'm very happy with what we saw and I'm very happy with his development," Flyers development coach Ian Laperriere told NHL.com. "He went both ways, he went to the top and to the bottom, and it's going to make him a better goalie next year and in the future."

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