Auston Matthews facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Auston Matthews
Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 2022
Born	(1997-09-17) September 17, 1997 (age 27) San Ramon, California, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Center
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Toronto Maple Leafs ZSC Lions
National team	United States
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2016 Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career	2015–present

Auston Taylour Matthews (born September 17, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a center and is the captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Auston was born in San Ramon, California. His family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when he was a baby. He played both baseball and hockey as a child. He became very interested in hockey after watching the local Phoenix Coyotes team play.

Matthews trained with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. This program helps young players develop their skills. Before joining the NHL, he played for the ZSC Lions in Switzerland. He even won a Swiss Cup title there in 2016. Many people thought Matthews was the best player available in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs chose him first overall.

Matthews made history by scoring four goals in his very first NHL game. He scored 40 goals in his first season (2016–17). This set a new record for a Maple Leafs rookie. He also became one of the few teenagers in league history to score so many goals. For his amazing performance, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

In the 2020–21 season, Matthews won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. This award goes to the league's top goal scorer. He won it again in 2021–22, scoring 60 goals. This was a record for an American-born player and a Maple Leaf. That season, he also won the Ted Lindsay Award (best player voted by other players) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player). He has been chosen for the All-Star team six times. In 2024, Matthews set a new record for goals in the "salary cap era" with 69 goals. He won his third Rocket Richard Trophy that year.

Matthews has also played for the United States in several international tournaments. These include the U17 and U18 World Championships, and the World Junior Championships.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Auston Taylour Matthews was born in San Ramon, California. His parents are Brian and Ema. His mother is from Mexico. When he was two months old, his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. He started going to Phoenix Coyotes games when he was two.

At first, Auston was more interested in the Zamboni machine that cleaned the ice. But soon after his fifth birthday, he wanted to play hockey. He joined the Arizona Bobcats youth hockey team. When he was eight, he saw Alexander Ovechkin score a famous goal. Matthews later called it "one of the best goals ever."

As a kid, Matthews played both hockey and baseball. His dad thought baseball was his best sport. Auston had great hand-eye coordination for hitting. But he chose hockey because he didn't like how slow baseball was. His main coach when he was young was Boris Dorozhenko. Boris had started Mexico's national ice hockey program.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior Hockey Years

The Western Hockey League's (WHL) Everett Silvertips drafted Matthews in 2012. But he decided to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program instead. This program helps top young American players. He quickly got attention from NHL scouts.

In his second season with the U.S. National U18 Team, Matthews scored 116 points. This broke a program record set by Patrick Kane. On May 21, 2015, he won the USA Hockey Bob Johnson Award. This award is for great performance in international games. He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the 2015 World U18 Championships.

Playing in Switzerland

Matthews in January 2016. He chose to play professionally for his last year before he was eligible for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, signing a one-year contract with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A.

Matthews chose to play professionally in Switzerland before he was old enough for the NHL Draft. He signed a one-year contract with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League A (NLA). He joined the team on August 7, 2015. The Lions' coach, Marc Crawford, was very impressed by Matthews' skating.

He made his NLA debut on September 18, 2015. He scored his first goal in that game. Matthews played well and finished as the second top-scorer for the Lions. He also won the NLA Rising Star Award. His time in Switzerland ended when his team lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Joining the Toronto Maple Leafs

In June 2016, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked Matthews first overall in the NHL Draft. He was the first American player chosen first since Patrick Kane in 2007. Everyone expected Matthews to be the top pick. On July 21, he signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs.

Early Years in Toronto (2016–2020)

Matthews played his first NHL game on October 12, 2016, against the Ottawa Senators. He scored four goals in that game! No player in modern NHL history had ever scored four goals in their debut. His jersey quickly became the best-selling in the NHL.

In December 2016, he scored the winning goal in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings. He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for December. In January 2017, he was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game. On March 28, 2017, Matthews scored his 35th goal. This broke the Maple Leafs' rookie record. He finished his first year with 40 goals, which was second-most in the NHL.

Matthews during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, December 2017

His play helped the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs for the first time in a long time. They played the Washington Capitals and lost in six games. Matthews scored in four straight playoff games. This was the first time a teenager had done that since 1986. For all his achievements, Matthews won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. He was the first Maple Leafs rookie to win it in 50 years.

In his second season (2017–18), Matthews missed some games due to injuries. He still scored 34 goals. The Maple Leafs made the playoffs again but lost to the Boston Bruins.

The 2018–19 season started strong for Matthews. He scored goals in his first few games. He became the youngest player in NHL history to have multiple points in his team's first five games. He also became one of only five players to score ten goals in his team's first six games. He signed a new five-year contract with Toronto on February 5, 2019. He scored his 100th and 101st NHL goals on February 14. He finished the season with a career-high 73 points. The Maple Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins in the playoffs again.

Matthews taking part in the Maple Leafs' outdoor practice, January 2020.

For the 2019–20 season, Matthews was named an alternate captain. He scored in his fourth straight season opener. He finished the shortened season with a career-high 47 goals. This placed him second in the league. The Maple Leafs lost in the qualifying round of the playoffs.

Becoming a Top Scorer (2020–2024)

The 2020–21 season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Matthews had his most successful season yet. He scored 41 goals in 56 games. He became the first Maple Leaf to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for most goals. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP). The Maple Leafs finished first in their division. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens.

Matthews with the puck being chased down by Washington Capitals forward Nic Dowd during a game, February 2022

In August 2021, Matthews had wrist surgery. He missed the first three games of the 2021–22 season. After a slow start, he began scoring a lot of goals. On March 31, he scored his 50th goal of the season. He was the first Maple Leaf to do this since 1994. He also set a team record for reaching 50 goals in the fewest games. Days later, he scored his 54th goal, tying a franchise record. He then broke the NHL record for most goals in a season by a U.S.-born player with his 56th goal. He reached 60 goals on April 26, becoming the first Maple Leaf to do so. This earned him his second straight Rocket Richard Trophy. He won both the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award that year. The Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs again, this time to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On January 3, 2023, Matthews became the fastest Maple Leafs player to reach 500 career points. He missed some time with a knee injury. On March 25, he tied a franchise record with 15 shots on goal in one game. The Maple Leafs faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs again. Matthews scored five goals and four assists in the series. He also had his first career fight with Steven Stamkos. The Leafs finally won a playoff series, advancing to the second round for the first time since 2004! However, they lost to the Florida Panthers in the next round.

Matthews skates in front of Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz during a game, January 2024

On August 23, 2023, Matthews signed a new four-year contract. He started the 2023–24 season with two hat tricks in a row. This made him the first player since Ovechkin in 2017 to do that. Matthews was chosen as an All-Star Game captain in 2024. His team, Team Matthews, won the tournament. Matthews was named the All-Star Game MVP.

He continued to score many goals throughout the season. By February 21, 2024, he had already reached 51 goals. On March 30, he scored his 60th goal, making it his second 60-goal season. On April 6, he reached 100 points in a season for the second time. Three nights later, he scored his 66th goal, breaking Ovechkin's record for goals in the "salary cap era." He finished the season with 69 goals, matching Mario Lemieux's accomplishment from 1995–96. He won his third Rocket Richard Trophy. The Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the 2024 playoffs to the Boston Bruins.

Becoming Captain (2024–present)

On August 14, 2024, the Maple Leafs named Auston Matthews their new captain. He is the 26th captain in the team's history. He is also the first American-born captain for the Maple Leafs.

International Play

Matthews with the United States men's hockey team during the 2016 IIHF World Championships
Medal record
Representing  United States
Men's ice hockey
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold	2014 Canada
IIHF World U18 Championship
Gold	2014 Finland
Gold	2015 Switzerland
IIHF World U20 Championship
Bronze	2016 Finland

Matthews helped the United States men's national under-18 ice hockey team win gold medals. They won at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championship and again in 2015. In 2015, he was the top scorer and Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

At the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships, Matthews scored 11 points. The United States won the bronze medal. He was named to the tournament All-Star Team. Later that year, he played for the U.S. senior team at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.

In 2016, Matthews also played for Team North America in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He played on the top line with Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid. He scored three points in three games.

Personal Life

Auston Matthews comes from a family of athletes. His father played college baseball. His uncle, Wes Matthews, played briefly in the National Football League. Auston has two sisters, Alexandria and Breyana. Because his mother is from Mexico, Matthews can speak some Spanish.

Off the ice, Matthews took online courses from the University of Nebraska Omaha. In 2016, he moved to Toronto and trained with teammates Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. His favorite athlete growing up was Kobe Bryant. His favorite sports movie is The Mighty Ducks. He likes players like Jonathan Toews and Anže Kopitar because they are good at both offense and defense.

In 2020, Matthews tested positive for COVID-19. He later confirmed he had the virus but felt "mostly asymptomatic" (had no symptoms). During the 2020 lockdown, he lived with teammate Frederik Andersen. He also got his dog, a Miniature Bernedoodle named Felix, during that time. Matthews has been the cover athlete for the EA Sports video games NHL 20 and NHL 22.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	United States	U17			6	4	4	8	8
2014	United States	WJC18			7	5	2	7	4
2015	United States	WJC18			7	8	7	15	0
2015	United States	WJC	5th		5	1	2	3	4
2016	United States	WJC			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

Records

NHL Records

• Most goals scored in an NHL debut in the modern era (four goals).
• Most goals by an American-born rookie (40 goals).
• Most consecutive games with a shot on goal to start a career (103 games).
• Youngest player (age 21) to record multiple points in each of his team's first five games of a season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Records

• Most goals in a single season (69 goals in 2023-24).
• Fastest Maple Leafs player to score 25 goals (52 games).
• Most points by a rookie (69 points).
• Most goals by a rookie (40 goals).
• First (and only) Maple Leafs player to score at least 30 goals in his first four seasons.
• Fewest games needed to score 50 goals in one season (55 games in 2023-24).
• Fastest Maple Leafs player to score 500 points (445 games).

See Also

• List of Toronto Maple Leafs players
• List of Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks

Images for kids

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  Matthews playing for the Maple Leafs.