South Raleigh News

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Dustin Tokarski to a one-year, two-way contract as they navigate a challenging season with multiple injuries among their goalies. The team has already used five different goaltenders in just 27 games of the 2024-25 season.

Frederik Andersen's knee injury at the end of October led to Spencer Martin stepping up alongside Pyotr Kochetkov. However, an injury to Kochetkov in November meant Martin quickly reached nine games played, nearing the threshold that would require waivers for reassignment to Chicago. To avoid this and preserve future prospects like Yaniv Perets and Ruslan Khazheyev, the Hurricanes sought another experienced goalie.

Dustin Tokarski, a veteran of 508 professional games, joined the team after attending training camp with the Ottawa Senators without securing a spot. He later received a tryout offer from the Chicago Wolves following Andersen's injury. "I've played for a while, so [I know] things happen and you've just got to be ready for an opportunity," Tokarski said.

Tokarski impressed in Chicago with back-to-back shutouts and continued success, boasting a .933 save percentage and ranking second in goals against average in the AHL before signing with Carolina. His relationship with Canes Goaltending Coach Paul Schonfelder dates back to their time together on Charlotte's Calder Cup-winning team in 2019.

"He's a good, veteran guy that's been around," Schonfelder commented on Tokarski's experience and past achievements including winning major championships like the Memorial Cup and World Junior Championship.

While Tokarski hasn't played an NHL game since February 2023, he is expected to provide stability behind Kochetkov. "Hopefully I can stop some pucks if needed," he said. "I'll just be ready if called upon, be a good teammate, and enjoy it."