Auston Matthews is an American ice-hockey player with a prospective and bright career and the potential to become a top-tier center player. Born in California, he was raised in Arizona. He excelled at both baseball and ice hockey as a child. As he matured, he opted to concentrate on ice hockey. It has been said that he is a naturally agile skater who can accelerate rapidly. Matthews demonstrates confidence and skill in his game. He has assisted the United States to win gold in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the IIHF World U-18 Championship. Additionally, he represented the United States at the “IIHF World U20 Championship.” He played for the ‘ZSC Lions’ in the ‘Swiss National League A’ (NLA) for a year and won several awards in the ‘NLA.’ Matthews was selected first overall by the ‘Toronto Maple Leafs’ in the 2016 ‘National Hockey League’ (NHL) draft. He set a record by scoring four goals in his first game in the National Hockey League and was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. As a youthful, promising player, he has accomplished a great deal. He resides in Toronto, Canada, at present.
Youth and Early Life
Matthews was born in San Ramon, California, on September 17, 1997. He is descended from a family of athletes. Brian Matthews, his California-born father, played college baseball. Ema, his mother, is from Mexico. Matthews has a sister named Alexandria and a sister named Breyana. When he was a toddler, his family relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona.
As a youth, he accompanied his parents to Phoenix Coyotes games frequently. This stimulated his interest in ice hockey. At the age of 5, he displayed a marked interest in the game. He played both baseball and ice hockey as a child, and his excellent hand–eye coordination made him an extraordinary baseball player.
Twelve years old, he participated in a spring hockey division. His Arizona Bobcats minor hockey team consisted of the offspring of former ice-hockey players. Former ‘Phoenix Coyotes player Claude Lemieux formed one of his squads. Matthews was trained by former Ukrainian ice-hockey player Boris Dorozhenko, who had previously coached in Mexico.
Boris remained with the Matthews family for a few years after moving to America. Matthews enrolled in online courses at the University of Nebraska Omaha. While he was in Switzerland playing, his older sibling assisted him with his homework.
Auston Matthews’s Career
Matthews was drafted in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft (by the ‘Everett Silvertips’), but he chose to compete for the ‘US National U17 team. His performance captured the attention of ice-hockey enthusiasts. The following season, he tallied 55 goals, 61 assists, and 116 points while playing for the ‘US National U18 squad. He placed first and surpassed Patrick Kane’s ‘National Team Development Program’ record of 102 points set in 2005–2006.
In September 2013, during his second game with the ‘U-17 NTDP,’ he fractured his femur after a knee-to-knee collision. He required surgery, but by December 2013 he had returned to play and recorded 12 goals and 33 points in 24 games. Additionally, he played for the ‘U-18 NTDP’ later in the season.
At the ‘2014 IIHF World U18 Championship,’ he contributed to the victory of the American team. Similarly, his performance at the ‘2015 IIHF World U18 Championship’ earned the team the gold medal. In May 2015, he received the USA Hockey Bob Johnson Award for international competition excellence.
He was named the 2015 ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) at the ‘World Under-18 Championship.’ He was also the tournament’s leading scorer, earning the title of “IIHF’s Best Forward.” He was a member of the “Media All-Star Team.” He was also on the 2015 roster, but a back injury prevented him from playing.
At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki, he represented the United States and helped his team win bronze. He joined the US men’s national team later that year and participated in the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He was also a member of ‘Team North America’ during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. However, the team did not earn any medals.
Matthews was ineligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by two days. In lieu of continuing with the ‘U18 team, he chose to play professionally. He signed a contract with the ‘ZSC Lions’ in August 2015 to compete in the ‘Swiss NLA.’ In September 2015, he made his ‘NLA’ début against ‘HC Fribourg-Gottéron’ and scored his first ‘NLA’ goal in the same game.
At the conclusion of the 2015–2016 regular season, he was the second-leading scorer for the ‘Lions’ (and tenth in the ‘NLA’) and the recipient of the ‘NLA Rising Star Award.’ Later, he also received the ‘NLA Rookie of the Year award, which is given to the league’s finest rookie.
In June 2016, the ‘Toronto Maple Leafs’ selected him first overall in the ‘2016 NHL Draft’ After Patrick Kane in 2007, he was the first American selected first overall. Matthews scored four goals in his ‘NHL’ inaugural game for the ‘Toronto Maple Leafs’ against the ‘Ottawa Senators,’ which was a record for modern ‘NHL’ games. The previous record was five goals tallied in the inaugural game of the National Hockey League in December 1917.
In December 2016, he scored the game-winning goal in the ‘NHL Centennial Classic’ and the ‘Maple Leafs’ won 5–4. He was the only member of his squad to be selected for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. During that season, Matthews broke several ‘NHL’ records. Previously, Wendel Clark held the record for the most goals scored in a season by a novice Maple Leaf with 34. Matthews surpassed the record in March 2017 with his 35th goal.
When he scored his 39th goal and 67th point in April 2017, he broke two records: most points in a season and most goals by an American-born debutant. He finished the season with a total of 40 goals scored. He was the fourth teenager in NHL history to accomplish the task in his first season and the league’s second-leading scorer. With more records broken in the postseason, he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league’s most outstanding rookie.
He was the first NHL player to start his tenure by scoring in the most consecutive games. On December 9, 2017, he sustained a concussion after colliding with a Pittsburgh Penguins player during a contest. Consequently, he missed the next six contests.
Matthews was the sole ‘Maple Leaf’ representative at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. This was followed in February 2018 by a shoulder injury that rendered him inactive for ten days. In March of 2018, his performance helped the ‘Maple Leafs defeat the ‘Nashville Predators 5–2. His team qualified for the Stanley Cup but succumbed to the ‘Boston Bruins in the finals.
Awards & Achievements
During the 2015–2016 season, he received the ‘NLA Rising Star Award,’ ‘NLA Media Most Improved Player,’ and ‘NLA Rookie of the Year honors. In addition, he was named to the ‘NBA Media All-Star Team.’ In 2015, he received the Bob Johnson Award for international competition excellence. In the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championship, he was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
In the same championship, he was also the scoring leader and a member of the ‘Media All-Star Team’. In December 2016, he was named NHL Rookie of the Month, and in 2017 he was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy. He has also established numerous benchmarks throughout his career.
Estimated Net Worth
According to some sources, his net worth is approximately $63 million. However, since joining the Leafs, his total career earnings are approximately $53 million.