Matthews thrilled to be committed to Maple Leafs, embraces fans' 'big passion'

TORONTO – Auston Matthews said he always wanted to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite hearing doubters question his sincerity.

Two games into this NHL season, his actions have spoken louder than his words.

Backing up the lucrative contract he signed in the offseason to stay put, the Maple Leafs forward is off to an historic start with back-to-back hat tricks, an accomplishment only one player -- Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (2017-18) -- has managed to do in the past century.

Who knows what he'll do for an encore as part of one of the NHL's early-season marquee matchups Monday when the Maple Leafs host Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, NBCSCH).

Is that proof enough for you that the 26-year-old is feeling right at home being in the spotlight in perhaps the most hockey-crazed market in the NHL?

It should.

Because this is exactly where he wants to be.

"I love it here," he told NHL.com in a 1-on-1 interview earlier this week. "I kept saying it over and over again whenever I was asked about my future. I'm not sure why some people didn't believe me."

For some reason there were those that didn't. As such, there was no shortage of conspiracy theories floating around him this offseason, especially with him set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

One theory was that he would leave Toronto to sign with his hometown Arizona Coyotes. There were rumors he would head to other Sun Belt locations like Los Angeles or Dallas, markets where the Kings and Stars were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders without the frosty elements of a Canadian winter.

And some even suggested he was seeking refuge in a smaller market, one where the cameras weren't omnipresent, and he could live his life away from the rink quietly and without fanfare.

It all turned out to be moot when he signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Maple Leafs on August 25. He's now locked up through the 2027-28 season, and is expected be with Toronto through the first 12 seasons of his NHL career.

A collective sigh of relief could almost be heard from southern Ontario when the news of the contract broke, specifically from the hordes of supporters known as Leafs Nation.

But Matthews doesn't know why anyone was worried.

"It was my mindset to come back all along," he said. "I felt I've been pretty clear about that. I really enjoy playing here, and I love the core guys I've been playing with going back to my early days here. And the way the staff treats us is amazing. I've kind of repeated these things, they're all true, and it means a lot to me to be here.

"So, when I see stuff like some of the speculation this summer, I get a pretty good chuckle out of it because it's just nonsense, to be honest with you."

He paused for a moment before elaborating.

"Look, if you didn't hear it from me, and you didn't hear it from my family, and you didn't hear it from my agent, then what are we talking about here? It's just like lies, just like people making stuff up.

"At this point I find it comedic more than anything. It didn't really bother me at all. I just found it funny because there are so many so-called experts out there who feel they have scoops -- people go on social media and say they hear things -- but if they didn't hear it from me, my family or my agent, where did you hear it from and who exactly is your credible source?

"I guess they have their answer now. Like I said after the season, it was always my intention to re-sign here. Again, I love it here, this is always where I've wanted to be, and I'm excited. We're just entering our prime."

One in which he seems to be having fun.

In past seasons Matthews at times looked as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, much like many of his teammates who were constantly reminded that the franchise had not won a Stanley Cup Playoff series since 2004. He'd been part of that dry spell since the Maple Leafs selected him No. 1 in the 2016 NHL Draft, going 0-6 in postseason matchups until Toronto ended that funk by eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round.

He admits the thrill of finally advancing in the playoffs was somewhat tempered by Toronto's subsequent five-game loss to the Florida Panthers in the second round. At the same time, there is a newfound confidence within the team this fall that it can take the next step, if not steps, in its quest for the Stanley Cup.

In the process, there seems to be a looser vibe around Matthews and his teammates.

Consider, for example, a recent incident at Sobeys, an Ontario grocery chain, that produced plenty of chuckles.

A bespectacled Matthews, posing as an employee named "Ashton," was given instructions via an earpiece by fellow Maple Leafs Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Reilly who were behind the scenes. When a customer and her two young kids approached him in the produce section, he asked them if they'd like an apple, then took a big chomp out of it per Rielly's instructions as part of the prank.

Cue the laughter.

(Of note: On behalf of the players, the Maple Leafs donated $10,000 to the Daily Bread Food Bank).

Don't be fooled by the fun and games. Behind the invigorating smile and the playful attitude, there is a gnawing desire to win a championship.

Not just with any team.

With this one.

Asked what he's discovered about Matthews since being named Maple Leafs general manager May 31, Brad Treliving summed up his star forward perfectly.

"His commitment to be the best," Treliving said. "There's people who have God-given ability which he has. What nobody sees is the work that he puts in."

They're certainly seeing the results.

Matthews is the first Maple Leafs player to have a hat trick in consecutive games since Wendel Clark did it Feb. 28, 1994, at the Ottawa Senators and March 4 at the Detroit Red Wings. He became the fifth player in NHL history to score at least three goals in each of their first two games to start the season, joining Ovechkin, Cy Denneny (1917-18), Joe Malone (1917-18) and Reg Noble (1917-18).

And the best, teammate Morgan Reilly said, is yet to come.

"He's going to do a lot of damage on a lot of records," Rielly said. "And a lot of Leafs records.

"He has high aspirations for himself. When he trains all offseason, comes in healthy and he's playing the way he is, you can only really watch. You just want to encourage him, let him do his thing.

"He's taking care of business."

For forward William Nylander, there's only one word needed to describe the way Matthews is playing.

"Wow."

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There will be a notable buzz in Toronto when the Blackhawks visit the Maple Leafs. Bedard, selected No. 1 by the Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft, will be in the house, and the fans and media alike can't wait to see the young star.

Such notoriety is nothing new for the 18-year-old, who was in the news dating back to his minor hockey days in north Vancouver. As recently as last season, he was the center of public attention almost every time he was in an opposing rink with Regina of the Western Hockey League.

It's a far cry from Matthews' trip to the NHL, one that was made in relative anonymity compared to that of the Blackhawks rookie.

Put yourself in his shoes.

You develop a love of the sport in the non-traditional hockey market of Arizona. You become a minor hockey legend in the area, yet for the most part remain unrecognized in public. Compare that to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who was being followed by TV cameras in his native southern Ontario before his 10th birthday.

Instead of taking the Canadian Hockey League or U.S. college route, you spend the season leading up to your draft year with Zurich-SC of the Swiss-A League. Your visits to road cities don't create the type of frenzy that Bedard's did in his junior hockey days.

Then you are selected No. 1 by the Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft, and suddenly you are in the limelight no matter what you do, as is the case in Toronto. Whether you're going to the grocery store or dining at a local restaurant, you're in the public eye, like it or not.

It's a lot to digest for an 18-year-old who'd never been exposed to this. His agent and friend, Judd Moldaver, did what he could to prepare Matthews, but the young phenom wouldn't really fully understand until he got to Toronto and had to deal with the reality of being peered at by strangers.

"I mean, you never really know what to expect or what you're going to go through until you actually experience it," Matthews said. "So, ya, it was kind of interesting, people kind of staring at you and noticing you and coming up to you and stuff like that.

"It was something I was never really used to."

He quickly learned that it was part of being a Maple Leafs player in Toronto. Just like he quickly learned that the positives outweighed the negatives, especially the way people loved the team and, beyond that, the game itself.

"He's always been mentally strong going back to when he was a kid," Moldaver said Wednesday. "He adapted. He was a teenager when he got there. It's been awesome to watch him morph into a man after dealing with so much at a young age."

Rielly agrees. The Maple Leafs defenseman has been Matthews' teammate for the past seven-plus seasons and had a front row view of his friend's journey.

"He came in and immediately became part of the team," Rielly said. "And as he got older, his role, his leadership within the community, his brand, all that stuff has grown, I'm sure. But he's always been the same guy we met when he came in. I think that's a testament to his character.

"People make a big deal about his re-signing and whatnot. He's an amazing player. And they should. And he's told me he loves it here. So we're happy to have him. Within the dressing room, he's just one of the guys, the guy we met when he first got here."

Outside the dressing room, however, it didn't take long for him to garner attention.

On Oct. 12, 2016, he set a modern-day NHL record by scoring four goals in his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators. The sea of cameras and microphones waiting for him afterward was a foreshadow of what would transpire in the coming years.

"The thing about Auston, in my time here, is that I've always found him to be a confident guy who can tune out the noise around him when need be," Sheldon Keefe, named coach of the Maple Leafs on Nov. 20, 2019, said. "I think he very much enjoys being in this market as shown by the fact he re-signed here.

"He embraces everything about being a Maple Leaf."

It has, Matthews said, been an acquired taste.

"As you kind of get accustomed to (the notoriety), it kind of just becomes normal," Matthews said. "And for the most part, people are extremely respectful of your privacy and your time.

"But you also understand there's a big passion for the Leafs and for hockey here in the city. Sure, there's some days obviously where you'd love not to talk to anybody and just cruise through and just mind your own business. But it happens.

"And you know what? I think the special part about playing here is that they care a lot and how it means so much to the team and the city."

So much so that he doesn't want to leave. At least for the next five years anyway.

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You can sense the excitement in Treliving's voice when he discusses what lies ahead for Matthews and, in a broader view, the Maple Leafs as a whole.

In Matthews he sees more than just an uber-skilled 6-foot-3, 215-pound power forward who won the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year in 2017; who won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL leading scorer in 2021 (41 goals) and 2022 (60); and who won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL MVP in 2022.

What he sees is an elite talent whose hunger for a championship continues to grow despite the shortcomings of postseasons past.

"The work he does away from what you guys see, before practice, in the summer, in the gym, staying late, he's as driven as guy as there is to be great," Treliving said Tuesday. "From the time I got here and first got to spend some time with him, it's just been impressive to watch."

On the day he was introduced as Maple Leafs general manager, Treliving told the room of reporters that re-signing Matthews was his No. 1 priority. Not long afterward, he went to Arizona to deliver his pitch.

Keep this in mind: Matthews admittedly had a good relationship with Treliving's predecessor, Kyle Dubas. It was Dubas who had signed him to his previous contract, a five-year, $58.17 million contract on Feb. 5, 2019, that runs through the 2023-24 season.

"It's tough," Matthews said. "When Kyle was let go and all that stuff was unfolding, well, with the relationship a lot of us had with Kyle, it's kind of hard to imagine another person stepping in and having to restart that process over with."

Even with that, it didn't take long for him to get comfortable with the new guy, who previously had been the GM of the Calgary Flames.

"It was pretty evident right away that he was a very down-to-earth guy, easy to talk to." Matthews said. "There wasn't any theatrics or anything like that. He's just who he is. And he's really solid and thorough with that.

"It's been really great getting to know him. He's doing a great job since he took over. It's not easy to get the keys at that point and go through the draft, free agency, things like that. But I think he understands what it takes and what it means to be a general manager in a Canadian market. Obviously, he's handled it really well."

According to Treliving, it was Matthews who reached out to the Maple Leafs later in the summer. His message: let's do this.

"Auston just decided the time was right," Moldaver said. "There was no urgency. It was always his desire to return. It's where he wants to be."

Especially after Treliving ignored public pressure and opted to keep the team's core together — Matthews and fellow forwards Marner, Nylander and John Tavares.

"I was extremely happy with that decision," Matthews said. "We've been through a lot with each other. And I think all of us would like to see this thing through. So ya, it means a lot that they have that faith and trust in us and obviously it's time for us to return the favor."

Matthews feels the series victory over Tampa Bay will be a big boost to that end.

"You realize how hard it is and what it takes to just win one series and having to follow it up over and over and over and over again. So I think it's tough sometimes because you want to see things happen so quickly and you want instant success.

"Unfortunately that's not the case for everybody. Sometimes you have to go through adversity to grow and find the recipe for success. We're still obviously working towards that goal. And we'll continue to do so."

In the process, he couldn't think of a better team to do it with, a better city to do it in, and a better fan base to do it in front of.

"Despite some of the things that were said out there, this is where I wanted to be all along," he said. "I'm excited for the challenge moving forward."