Dustin Tokarski is back in the National Hockey League (NHL) win column.
On Sunday night, the Watson product made his first start inside of an NHL crease in nearly two years with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tokarski made 27 saves and led the Hurricanes to a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and was named the first star of the game.
It was his first win in the NHL since January 10, 2023, when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After spending the 2023-24 season with the Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Tokarski began the 2024-25 campaign without a team.
In November, the 35-year-old signed a player tryout agreement (PTO) with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes. He registered back-to-back shutouts in his first two games with the Wolves.
Tokarski was called up by the Hurricanes on December 2. He backed up Pyotr Kochetkov for four games before receiving the start on Sunday.