From what was originally deemed as a chance to get more reps and gain experience with Team USA, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has struggled in his first two games at the 2026 World Championship.
It was an encouraging sign to see Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll get called to represent Team USA at the 2026 World Championship. After all, this is the first time Woll has suited up for his country at the senior level.
However, Woll has not had the experience he was likely hoping for since the start of the competition on Friday. In fact, he's struggled in each of his starts and is still searching for his first win at the World Championship.
In total, Team USA have played in three games and has one victory. The other two games, a 6-2 loss against Finland on Tuesday and a 3-1 defeat to Switzerland on Friday, were when Woll got the call to start between the pipes.
In his two appearances for his national team, Woll is averaging a 5.86 goals-against average and a .724 save percentage.
It's just a pair of outings, but allowing eight goals in two games is not how the Maple Leafs or Woll envisioned this experience.
Furthermore, in his last appearance, against Finland, he allowed five goals on 10 shots and was pulled from the game, before playing more than two minutes in the second period.
Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley took over from that point and was the netminder in the crease during Woll's off-day. Chances are the Americans will go with Cooley more often after Woll's last pair of performances.
It's worth noting that the team playing in front of Woll isn't the typical Team USA you would find in a senior-level international tournament. There's a lot more youth and very few star players on the roster, a big difference from last year's championship team.
But particularly in the loss to Finland, many of the goals that beat Woll should have been saves, and against players who have scored fewer than 15 points in the NHL this past season.
Woll's numbers from this tournament are far below what he executed during the NHL's regular season. In 39 games, he posted a 3.34 GAA and a .899 SP for the Maple Leafs, which isn't incredible, but not what he's been doing for Team USA.
The season before that, the 27-year-old goalie registered a 2.73 GAA and a .909 SP in 42 games, his best numbers from a full NHL campaign.
Woll's World Championship campaign is just a small sample size, and the next NHL regular season is months away. So while it's too early to say there's concern for his play going into next season for the Maple Leafs, there's no doubt his struggles have been glaring and shocking.
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