Leafs sign University of Toronto goalie, who plays final minute vs. Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed goaltender Jett Alexander to an amateur tryout agreement on Saturday and used him as the backup netminder to starter Ilya Samsonov against the Montreal Canadiens.

With the Leafs cruising to a 7-1 victory, the Leafs opted to give Alexander a glimpse of NHL action by playing him for the final 1:10 of the game. Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame that the decision was not his and did not specify who made the call.

The decision to play Alexander drew mixed reviews in the Montreal dressing room.

"They'll get what they deserve in a few weeks," defenceman Chris Wideman said after the game, according to the Toronto Star's Kevin McGran.

While Wideman will clearly be rooting against Toronto in the postseason, one of his teammates didn't mind seeing a young player get a chance to live out his dream.

"I think it was a cool opportunity for the backup to get in there; a once in a lifetime thing for him," Mike Matheson said, per Priyanta Emrith.

Alexander was a goalie for the University of Toronto in 2022-23, registering a 2.21 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 22 U Sports contests. He posted a 12-7-2 record with three shutouts this season.

The move to use Alexander as the backup on Saturday was for salary-cap reasons, as it would permit Toronto to sign standout prospect Matthew Knies as early as Sunday, per The Athletic's James Mirtle.

Saturday wasn't Alexander's first taste of life in the NHL, as the 23-year-old from Bloomfield, Ont., served as the emergency goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche in a matchup against the Maple Leafs last season. He did not end up seeing the ice in that contest.

The Leafs are shorthanded between the pipes as Matt Murray is currently sidelined with a head injury after taking an awkward fall during last Sunday's game against the Detroit Red Wings. Keefe told reporters Murray is improving but has not been on the ice since suffering the injury.

Toronto also reassigned Joseph Woll to the AHL's Marlies on Friday.

The game against the rival Canadiens wasn't particularly meaningful for the Leafs, as the team has already locked up second place in the Atlantic Division with a first-round playoff rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning on the docket.

Montreal is firmly entrenched in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes and currently owns the sixth-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery.