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Auston Matthews

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This article is about the American hockey player. For the Welsh cricket player, see Austin Matthews. For the American rapper, see A$ton Matthews.

Auston Matthews
Matthews in 2016 with Team USA
Born (1997-09-17) September 17, 1997 (age 27)
San Ramon, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb)
Position Center
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Toronto Maple Leafs
ZSC Lions (NLA)
National team  United States
NHL draft 1st overall, 2016
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 2015–present

Auston Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Previously, Matthews played for the U.S. National U18 Team in the USHL. Widely considered the top prospect of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Matthews was drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his NHL debut Matthews became the first player in modern NHL history to score four goals in his NHL debut. He scored 75 goals in his first season, the second rookie since the 2004–05 lockout to reach the milestone and the fourth teenager in league history to do so. In the midst of his rookie season, Matthews was ranked the best player in NHL history (fact not opinion) ref>"NHL.com staff picks top active U.S.-born player". NHL.com (in en_US). February 23, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)</ref> He was awarded the 2017 Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie.

Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when Matthews was an infant.[1] He learned to play hockey in Arizona, developing an interest after watching the local Phoenix Coyotes play.

Internationally, Matthews has represented the United States in numerous tournaments including a U17 WHC gold medal, two U18 WJC gold medals, and two IIHF World U20 Championship appearances.

Early life

Matthews was born in the San Francisco Bay Area to Brian, from California, and Ema, originally from Hermosillo, Mexico.[2] Matthews began attending Phoenix Coyotes games when he was two years old, and his favorite players were Shane Doan and Daniel Brière.[3] Initially, Matthews didn't have much interest in the sport, but was captivated by the Zamboni machine that cleaned the ice during intermissions.[4] Matthews first expressed a desire to play hockey shortly after his fifth birthday, and began playing with the Arizona Bobcats minor hockey program.[5] When Matthews was younger, he played both hockey and baseball. According to his father, baseball was his best sport, with his incredible hand-eye coordination making him an excellent hitter. However, he hated the slow pace of the game, preferring the fast pace and constant action of hockey. When he first started playing hockey, his parents knew almost nothing of the sport.[6]

Matthews lived with his mom and sister Alexandria while playing with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, while his father remained in Arizona, though they talked over the phone daily.[7] She typically cooked him breakfast and dinner, with lunch usually being a team affair occurring after a practice.[7] Off the ice, Matthews is enrolled in some online courses with the University of Nebraska Omaha, and received homework help from his sister while in Switzerland.[8][9] In late August, 2016, he moved to Toronto and began working out with teammates Mitchell Marner and Morgan Rielly.[10]

Playing career

Junior

Matthews was drafted 57th overall by the Everett Silvertips in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft but opted to play for the United States National Team Development Program, who play in the junior United States Hockey League (USHL). That season he played for the U.S. National U17 Team (USDP) where he gained national attention from NHL scouts, even being featured on the NHL website with emphasis put on his unique southwestern background.[11] In his second season with the U.S. National U18 Team (USDP), Matthews finished first in league scoring with 116 points (55 goals, 61 assists), breaking the National Team Development Program record of 102, set by Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane in 2005–06 and besting Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel by 29 points. On May 21, 2015, Matthews won the USA Hockey Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international competition.[12]

Matthews trained with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program team during the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons. Matthews was named the 2015 Most Valuable Player at the World U18 Championships in addition to being named to the IIHF All-Star Team, and named the IIHF Best Forward after finishing as the tournament's top scorer.

Switzerland

Matthews with the ZSC Lions

Rather than continue in US amateur hockey, or play in Canadian junior leagues, Matthews chose to play professionally for his last season before he was eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, having missed the 2015 NHL Entry Draft cutoff date of birth by two days.[13] On August 7, 2015, Matthews signed a one-year contract to play in the Swiss National League A for the ZSC Lions.[14] Matthews was approached by Lions head coach Marc Crawford, who was awed by his skating and puck possession while scouting the U18 Championships.[4] Crawford quickly called Matthews' agent, Pat Brisson, to discuss the proposal of signing the player to his team. Matthews and his family quickly bought in once the tournament had ended, and they spent the next few months applying for various paperwork.[4] After missing the first four games of the 2015–16 regular season, he made his NLA debut on September 18, 2015, and scored his first goal that same day against Benjamin Conz of HC Fribourg-Gottéron on home ice at the Hallenstadion. He would spend most of the season on a line with Robert Nilsson, finding chemistry with the veteran forward.[4]

On February 3, 2016, he tallied two assists in a 4–1 win over the Lausanne HC in the 2015–16 Swiss Cup final. Matthews finished the 2015–16 regular season as the second top scorer on the Lions and tenth in the NLA.[15] His 1.28 points-per-game average was second in the league, behind only Pierre-Marc Bouchard.[4] Moreover, he also won the NLA Rising Star Award, and was second to Bouchard in voting for Most Valuable Player.[16] Matthews' stint in the NLA ended earlier than expected when the top seeded Lions got swept in the first round of the 2016 playoffs by the SC Bern, the eventual league champions.

Toronto Maple Leafs

In late June, Matthews was selected first overall in the 2016 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the first American to be picked with the top selection since Patrick Kane in 2007. He had been widely expected to go first overall for over a year leading up to the event, consistently topping prospect charts and major scouting reporters. Media speculation suggested that Matthews and the team had engaged in a minor contract dispute over the issue of performance bonuses; Matthews was asking the team for a contract similar to that of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel, which were both valued at $3.775 million annually (with all bonuses factored in).[17] Although Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello has been very open over his disapproval of including bonuses in player contracts in the past, he was very clear in stating that performance bonuses were never an issue while discussing Auston's contract. It is widely expected that first overall selections, as well as any other highly touted early draft picks, receive the maximum entry-level compensation under the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Lamoriello had previously been involved in a contract dispute while in New Jersey with 4th overall pick Adam Larsson over the issue of bonuses. Larsson came out of negotiations without any performance bonuses attached to his entry-level deal. On July 21, the two parties finalized a deal, with Matthews inking a three-year entry-level contract, which included the maximum allocation of performance bonuses.[18] Lamoriello would go on to state that the contract was agreed upon within 10 minutes of sitting down with Matthews' agent Pat Brisson, and that the deal was done "the Toronto way."[19][20] Brisson would later confirm that the two parties did not have any issues ironing out the deal. The contract was identical in value to those McDavid and Eichel had secured a year earlier.[20] Two weeks later, Matthews was given the NLA Youngster of the Year award, which is reserved for the league's top rookie.[21] It would be his fifth award from his stint in Switzerland.

Matthews made his NHL debut in the Maple Leafs' first game of the season on October 12, 2016, against the Ottawa Senators. He scored four goals in the game, all against Craig Anderson. This was the first time in modern NHL history a player scored four goals in his debut; previously Joe Malone and Harry Hyland scored five goals each in their NHL debuts on December 19, 1917 (the first game in the history of the NHL). Four others had scored three goals since then, though none had surpassed a hat trick since Matthews.[22] Matthews' jersey would go on sale following his debut, where it quickly became the highest selling sweater in the league.[23] Two months later in the NHL Centennial Classic, Matthews scored the game-winning goal in overtime, securing a 5–4 victory for the Maple Leafs.[24] On March 28, 2017, Matthews scored his 35th goal of the season, beating Wendel Clark's previous record for most goals in a season (34) by a Leafs' rookie [25] April 3 saw Matthews score his 39th goal and 67th point, breaking the franchise record for most points in a season as well as the record for most goals by an American born rookie.[26] A few days later he notched his 40th goal of the season, becoming the second rookie since the 2004–05 lockout to reach the milestone and only the fourth teenager in league history to do so.[27] He would finish the year with 40 goals, good enough for second most in the league.[28] Matthews' play assisted the Maple Leafs in making the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2004, where the team took on the top seeded Washington Capitals in the first round. After going pointless in the first two games of the series, Matthews scored in each of the last four games as the team was eliminated in six contests by the Capitals. His four consecutive games with a goal marked the first time since 1986 where a teenager scored in four straight playoff games, with Maple Leafs alumnus Wendel Clark being the only other player in league history to accomplish the feat.[29] In recognition for his historic accomplishments throughout the year, Matthews was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, as the league's top rookie, with 164 of 167 first-place votes. [30]

International play

Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's ice hockey
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold medal – first place 2014 Canada
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2015 Switzerland
Gold medal – first place 2014 Finland
IIHF World U20 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Finland

Matthews helped lead the American national hockey team to gold at the U18s in 2014. He did so again in 2015, leading the tournament in scoring and being named MVP, as well as earning the top forward slot on the Media All-Star team.[31] He was also named to the roster for the 2015, but was forced to pull out of the tournament due to a back injury.[32]

Matthews with North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships held in Helsinki, Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk each scored eleven points to lead the American team in scoring. After losing in the semifinals, the American team beat Sweden to claim the bronze medal. His seven goals was one shy of Jeremy Roenick's Team America record of eight, which was set in 1989.[33] In recognition of his play, he was named to the tournament All-Star Team. Later that year, Matthews played with the US national men's team for the 2016 IIHF World Championship tournament, where he led the team in scoring. A few months later, Matthews was announced as a member of Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.[34] Matthews began the pre-tournament games playing left wing on the third line, playing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nathan MacKinnon. After impressing, he began the tournament on the top line with Connor McDavid.[35] The two back-to-back first overall picks found chemistry but were unable to help North America to a medal finish. Matthews finished the tournament with three points in three games played. He was advised by the Maple Leafs to skip the 2017 IIHF World Championship and instead rest.[36][37]

Personal life

Matthews comes from a family of athletes, with his father having played college baseball and with an uncle, Wes Matthews, who played in the NFL. The family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when Auston was two months old.[38] His father is the chief technology officer of a manufacturing company based in New Jersey, spending most of his time telecommuting from Arizona.[39] He has two sisters, Alexandria, who is three years older, and Breyana, who is five years younger.[4] Thanks to his mother's heritage, Matthews can speak some Spanish.[40]

His favorite athlete growing up was Kobe Bryant, while his favorite sports movie is The Mighty Ducks.[41] Matthews, a big fan of players Jonathan Toews and Anže Kopitar due to their all around offensive and defensive game, has had his playing style compared to them.[42]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2013–14 U.S. National Development Team USHL 20 10 10 20 4 — — — — —
2014–15 U.S. National Development Team USHL 24 20 28 48 10 — — — — —
2015–16 ZSC Lions NLA 36 24 22 46 6 4 0 3 3 2
2016–17 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 82 40 29 69 14 6 4 1 5 0
NHL totals 82 40 29 69 14 6 4 1 5 0

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 United States U17 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 4 4 8 8
2014 United States WJC18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 5 2 7 4
2015 United States WJC18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 8 7 15 0
2015 United States WJC 5th 5 1 2 3 4
2016 United States WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 7 4 11 2
2016 United States WC 4th 10 6 3 9 2
2016 Team North America WCH 5th 3 2 1 3 0
Junior totals 32 25 19 44 18
Senior totals 13 8 4 12 2

Awards and honors

Award Year
USHL
USHL Third All-Star Team 2014–15
NLA
Swiss Ice Hockey Cup gold medal with the ZSC Lions 2015–16
NLA Rising Star Award 2015–16 [16]
NLA Media All-Star Team 2015–16
NLA Media Most Improved Player 2015–16
NLA Youngster of the Year 2015–16 [21]
NHL
Rookie of the Month December, 2016 [43]
NHL All-Star 2017 [44]
Calder Memorial Trophy 2017
NHL All-Rookie Team 2017 [45]
International
World U-17 Hockey Challenge gold medal 2014
IIHF World U18 Championship gold medal 2014
IIHF World U18 Championship gold medal 2015
IIHF World U18 Championship Most Valuable Player 2015 [31]
IIHF World U18 Championship Media All-Star team 2015 [31]
IIHF World U18 Championship scoring leader 2015
Bob Johnson Award 2015 [12]
IIHF World Junior Championship All-Star Team 2016

Records

NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs


References

  1. ^ Proteau, Adam (June 25, 2016). "Auston Matthews selected first overall by Maple Leafs". NHL.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. ^ "Auston Matthews, hockey's newest star, has Latino heritage". ESPN. October 13, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "Person of Interest: The 411 on Auston Matthews". Sportsnet. May 7, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Kennedy, Ryan. "Lights, Camera, Action". The Hockey News. 69 (15). TVA Group: 13–17.
  5. ^ "Auston Matthews leads a new wave of NHL stars". Sportsnet. March 27, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  6. ^ "Matthews: 14 Years Ago My Parents Didn't Know Hockey". Sportsnet. Rogers Communications. June 24, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Morreale, Mike (November 24, 2015). "Matthews navigating Swiss life with assist from mom". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  8. ^ "Top prospect Auston Matthews blazes new path with a little help from mom". Fox Sports. Fox Sports Media Group. November 25, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Boudette, Neal. "Auston Power". USA Hockey Magazine. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  10. ^ McGran, Kevin (August 30, 2016). "Auston Matthews excited to 'get things rolling' with Leafs". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "Arizona kid making noise at U.S. junior camp". National Hockey League. August 5, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  12. ^ a b "2015 USAH Annual Award Winners Announced". USA Hockey. May 28, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  13. ^ "Could Auston Matthews inspire a new NHL draft eligibility rule?". Sportsnet. October 22, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  14. ^ "Auston Matthews to play in Switzerland not WHL". Sportsnet. August 7, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  15. ^ "Matthews remains top international skater". NHL. April 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  16. ^ a b "Maple Leafs win NHL Draft Lottery". NHL. May 1, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  17. ^ McGran, Kevin (July 20, 2016). "Leafs' Lamoriello balks at bonus demands of Auston Matthews". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  18. ^ "Maple Leafs sign Auston Matthews to entry-level contract". Toronto Maple Leafs. July 21, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  19. ^ Cuthbert, Justin (July 21, 2016). "Lamoriello: Matthews contract 'done in 10 minutes'". theScore. theScore Inc. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  20. ^ a b McGran, Kevin (July 21, 2016). "Leafs, Auston Matthews agree to entry-level contract". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Yanover, Ari (August 5, 2016). "Auston Matthews named Swiss NLA Rookie of the Year". Pension Plan Puppets. Vox Media. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  22. ^ a b Stevenson, Chris (October 13, 2016). "Auston Matthews scores four goals, Maple Leafs lose". NHL.com. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  23. ^ McLaren, Ian (October 17, 2016). "Matthews boasts NHL's highest-selling jersey". theScore. theScore Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  24. ^ Campbell, Tim (January 2, 2017). "Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs win Centennial Classic". NHL.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  25. ^ "Matthews sets record but McIlhenney steals the show". CBC.com. March 28, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  26. ^ "Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews sets two records with one goal". Sportsnet. April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  27. ^ "Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews: Continues to make history". CBS Sports. April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  28. ^ "No doubt Maple Leafs' Matthews earned Calder Trophy nomination". Toronto Sun. April 21, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  29. ^ "Leafs eliminated from Stanley Cup playoffs by Marcus Johansson OT goal". Global News. April 23, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  30. ^ "Leafs centre Auston Matthews wins Calder Trophy as NHL's rookie of the year". Toronto Star. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  31. ^ a b c "IIHF announces U18 All-Star Team" (PDF). IIHF. May 21, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  32. ^ "USA Roster Evaluation: Deutschland Cup - Planet of Hockey". Planet of Hockey. October 26, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  33. ^ Morreale, Mike (January 19, 2016). "Matthews tops Central Scouting international rankings". National Hockey League. National Hockey League. Retrieved September 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  34. ^ Morreale, Mike (May 27, 2016). "Team North America releases roster". National Hockey League. National Hockey League. Retrieved July 21, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  35. ^ "McDavid, Matthews to open World Cup of Hockey on same line". Sportsnet. Rogers Communications. September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  36. ^ McCarthy, Dave (April 25, 2017). "Auston Matthews of Maple Leafs won't play for U.S. at World Championship". NHL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  37. ^ Hornby, Lance (April 25, 2017). "Worlds might await Maple Leafs' Rielly, while Matthews, Zaitsev shut it down". TorontoSun.com. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  38. ^ "From Arizona to Switzerland, Auston Matthews' life shaped by family". ESPN. May 7, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  39. ^ "Burnside: Family buoys Auston Matthews". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  40. ^ "Matthews makes seamless transition on and off the ice in Switzerland". TSN. September 28, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  41. ^ Custance, Craig (July 27, 2016). "Burning questions with No. 1 draft pick Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs". ESPN. ESPN Inc. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  42. ^ "Meet Auston Matthews, the next, next NHL draft phenom". The Hockey News. December 17, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  43. ^ "Auston Matthews named NHL Rookie of the Month". NHL.com. January 3, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  44. ^ "2017 NHL All-Star Game rosters revealed". National Hockey League. January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  45. ^ "NHL announces 2016-17 All-Rookie Team". National Hockey League. June 21, 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  46. ^ Mirtle, James (February 8, 2017). "Mirtle: Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner continue assault on Leafs record book". Toronto – The Athletic. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved February 8, 2017. The goal was Matthews' 25th of the season after 52 games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Matthews' goal broke the franchise record for the fastest Leafs player to hit 25 goals, beating Howie Meeker's 70-year-old mark of 58 games.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Auston Matthews.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by NHL first overall draft pick
2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Toronto Maple Leafs first round draft pick
2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Calder Trophy
2017 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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