Maple Leafs place captain Matthews on IR, recall Cowan from AHL and activate Woll

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed captain Auston Matthews on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, the NHL club announced Friday.

The move is retroactive to Tuesday, when Matthews left a 5-4 road loss to the Boston Bruins in the second period.

The move comes after Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday that he expected Matthews to be out “maybe a week, maybe sooner.”

The Maple Leafs also activated goaltender Joseph Woll, recalled forward Easton Cowan from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies and assigned goaltender Artur Akhtyamov to the AHL.

Woll rejoins the Leafs after missing the start of the season to attend to a personal matter. He will likely take over as Toronto’s No. 1 option in net with Anthony Stolarz out day-to-day with an upper-body issue.

Dennis Hildeby started in goal for Toronto’s 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Los Angeles on Thursday. It was the Maple Leafs’ fourth loss in a row.

Cowan started the season with the Maple Leafs and had a goal and three assists in four games before being assigned to the Marlies.

The 20-year-old, selected 28th overall by Toronto at the 2023 NHL draft, has one assist in two AHL games.

The Maple Leafs, currently in second-last place in the Atlantic Division, face the Blackhawks on Saturday night in Chicago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2025.