The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai and sent goaltender Dennis Hildeby back to the AHL. This is just the second call-up of Rifai’s career, with the first coming in October of this season but not resulting in any NHL games. Instead, the 25-year-old defenseman has spent his season with the Toronto Marlies, playing in 34 games and scoring 11 points. He also ranks fourth on the team with 48 penalty minutes.
Rifai is in just his second professional season after playing three years at Harvard University. He earned a contract with the Maple Leafs this summer, after signing a professional try-out with the team at the end of the 2021-22 season. Rifai was persistent in his first AHL season, recording 16 points and a team-leading 118 penalty minutes across 69 games. He became just the sixth AHL rookie since the 2017-18 season to record 100 or more penalty minutes, joining a list led by Montana Onyebuchi’s 137 penalty minutes in just 46 games in 2021-22.
Rifai will hope that his recall proves more fruitful than Dennis Hildeby’s. The 22-year-old goaltender has yet to make his NHL debut, despite spending a combined 16 days on the NHL roster this season. Hildeby has served as the Marlies’ go-to starter when he’s in the AHL, recording 12 wins and a .913 save percentage in 24 games. He’s proven much more reliable in net than backup Keith Petruzzelli, who’s recorded just six wins and a .868 save percentage in 16 games of his own. Hildeby will look to bring a spark back to a Marlies lineup that’s gone 2-4-0 over their last six games, getting outscored 19-to-26.