| Born: | September 17,1997 | Draft: | 2016 Maple Leafs, 1st Overall |
| Hometown: | San Ramon, CA | Position: | C |
| Known For: | Nicknamed “Papi” | Shoots: | Left |
| National Team: | USA | Current Team: | Toronto Maple Leafs |
Auston Taylour Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, when he was an infant. After playing baseball and hockey during his childhood, he developed a particular interest in hockey after watching the local Arizona Coyotes (then-Phoenix Coyotes) play. A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League (USHL), Matthews played for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League prior to being drafted into the NHL in 2016, winning a Swiss Cup title that same year. Matthews was widely considered the top prospect of the draft, and was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nicknamed “Papi”, Matthews became the first player in modern NHL history to score four goals in his NHL debut. He scored 40 goals in his first season in 2016–17, setting the Maple Leafs rookie record and becoming just the second rookie since the 2004–05 lockout to reach the milestone (along with Alexander Ovechkin); he is just the fourth teenager in league history to accomplish the feat. His performance won him the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie for the season. 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.
Auston Matthews Statistics
Deeper Dive
- Maple Leafs’ Matthews Learned His Hockey Skills in a Phoenix Thrift Store
- 2021 NHL Award Watch: Evaluating the Hart Race
- Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Emerging from the Chaos
- Auston Matthews is Rewriting the Maple Leafs Record Book
- Matthews Could Cement Himself as Maple Leafs Great This Season
- Auston Matthews Quiz – How Well Do You Know the Maple Leafs’ Star?
- 7 Cool Things About Auston Matthews
- Mo Mustache for Auston Matthews Puts Him in Elite Company
- Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Is Undergoing a Transformation
- A Slimmer Auston Matthews Has Nothing to Hide
- Auston Matthews’ Impact on the Hockey World…So Far
Achievements
- U17 WHC Gold Medal — 2013-14
- U18 WJC Gold Medal — 2013-14
- U18 WJC All-Star Team — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Best Forward — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Gold Medal — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Most Goals (8) — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Most Points (15) — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Most Valuable Player — 2014-15
- U18 WJC Top 3 Player on Team — 2014-15
- USHL Third All-Star Team — 2014-15
- Bob Johnson Award — 2015
- NL Media All-Star Team — 2015-16
- NL Media Most Improved Player — 2015-16
- NL Youngster of the Year — 2015-16
- Swiss Cup Most Points (7) — 2015-16
- Swiss Cup winner — 2015-16
- U20 WJC All-Star Team — 2015-16
- U20 WJC Bronze Medal — 2015-16
- U20 WJC Most Goals (7) — 2015-16
- U20 WJC Top 3 Player on Team — 2015-16
- World Championship Top 3 Player on Team — 2015-16
- NHL All-Rookie Team — 2016-17
- NHL All-Star Game — 2016-17
- NHL Rookie of the Month (December) — 2016-17
- NHL Rookie of the Year (Calder Trophy) — 2016-17
- NHL All-Star Game — 2017-18
- NHL All-Star Game (Captain) — 2018-19
- NHL All-Star Game — 2019-20
- Alternate Captain (Toronto) — 2019-2021
- EA Sports NHL Cover Athlete — 2020
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy — 2020-21
- Hart Memorial Trophy — 2021-22
- Ted Lindsay Award — 2021-22
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy — 2021-22
- NHL All-Star Game (Captain) — 2021-22
- NHL First All-Star Team — 2021-22
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy — 2023-24