Artur Akhtyamov was chuckling as he said it.
“I hate myself,” the Toronto Marlies goaltender said on Tuesday following practice at the Ford Performance Centre.
Some context is required. The 24-year-old Akhtyamov was being asked about what he likes about his game in general as the Marlies prepare for the North Division final against the Cleveland Monsters in the Calder Cup playoffs.
When it was suggested that he is a perfectionist, he agreed.
“Maybe sometimes,” Akhtyamov said. “I like that we win two series. That’s good. I have moments, so I need to work more, because I want to stop more pucks.”
With the American Hockey League best-of-five series starting on Thursday in Cleveland, Akhtyamov has shone through the first two rounds, posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average in six games.
After he was pulled in Game 4 of the second round against Laval, he was right back in to start Game 5 and made 20 saves as the Marlies advanced with a 3-2 win.
How has Akhtyamov found a balance? For Marlies coach John Gruden, Akhtyamov’s ability to find a balance has been one reason why the native of Kazan, Russia, has taken significant steps throughout the 2025-26 season.
“You have to be a little bit of a perfectionist, you have to hate to get scored on, but you also have to have a little bit of a quarterback mentality,” Gruden said. “You let things go pretty quick. I think he does do that.
“I don’t think it affects either one of them (including goalie partner Dennis Hildeby). You have to be able to find it, fix it, and forget it, and move on.”
Hildeby had already worked his way into the Maple Leafs goaltending conversation and Akhtyamov has planted himself in the talk as well. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll are under contract for the next four years and two years, respectively, but Akhtyamov and Hildeby are not far from full-time National Hockey League work.
Goaltending is not an area that Leafs general manager John Chayka will have to address, at least not in the sense that there needs to be an addition. With vital items on the agenda, including the futures of captain Auston Matthews and coach Craig Berube, the need for another top forward and a revamping of the defence corps, there is some relief in the front office that goaltending is not a concern.
Whether Akhtyamov or Hildeby pushes out Stolarz or Woll remains to be seen, the potential of the two Marlies goalies is clear.
“The hardest part about it is having one guy not playing,” Marlies captain Logan Shaw said. “Both of them are good professionals, and they understand the situation that they’re in, and it doesn’t matter for us who’s in net. The biggest part for me is to try to make sure that they both know that they’re a huge part of this team, and we’re going to need both of them going forward.”
What are Hildeby’s thoughts? Hildeby is handling the latest development with grace. After playing in 20 games with the Leafs this past season, he has started only two of the Marlies’ eight playoff games. It is not as though he has struggled, as he has stopped 58 of the 63 shots he has faced in three post-season games, including two starts.
“We both want to play, so you just have to make the most out of every chance you get,” Hildeby said. “I try to take that extra time I get and put it to good use in practice. When you’re not playing, you’re allowed to waste a little more energy, so you can work on some stuff.”
Akhtyamov played in three games with the Leafs, including one in December and two in April. A highlight was a conversation he had with Florida Panthers goalie and fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky during the pre-game warmup on April 11.
Bobrovsky congratulated Akhtyamov on making his first NHL start two nights earlier. The quick on-ice meeting — their first in person — came a couple of months after Bobrovsky called Akhtyamov out of the blue to congratulate him on signing a new contract with Toronto.
“It means a lot for me, because he was my favourite goalie when I was young,” Akhtyamov said. “Just to talk with him, it’s important for me.”
Hildeby and Akhtyamov have been in each other’s corners for the past two seasons, and Hildeby had some words of encouragement for his pal on Tuesday.
“He definitely shouldn’t hate himself,” Hildeby said. “He’s a big reason we got through to the next round.
“We’re trying to support each other, and he has been doing a great job.”
