How Auston Matthews went from Scottsdale, Arizona to becoming the NHL's newest star
In 1996, the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix and became the Coyotes. The move was lamented at the time because it was a sign that owners viewed the U.S. as a place where they could make more money and it cost Canada another team. But it also may have produced at least one hockey star.
A year later, Matthews was born and shortly after that his family moved to Arizona. As a toddler, Matthews went to Coyotes games with an uncle who was a season-ticket holder and fell in love with the sport.
SOURCE: New York Times
Ironically, the reborn Winnipeg Jets would have the second pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, just missing out on a chance to draft Matthews.
Auston is from a family of athletes. His great-uncle, Wes Matthews, played in the AFL for one season with the Miami Dolphins
SOURCE: New York Times
Matthews' father, Brian, played baseball in college and at one point at a very young age, Auston was considered a better baseball player.
Source: NHL.com
Brian on his son's baseball abilities: "I think he loved baseball. But there was too much standing around for him. If he could have batted every 15 seconds he would have loved it. Waiting around for the pitcher to throw the ball, it wasn’t active enough for him."
SOURCE: New York Times
Auston's mother, Ema, is from Mexico and worked two jobs to help pay for his hockey training. His father estimated that it cost $20,000 per year to secure ice time at local arenas and to travel for youth tournaments.
SOURCE: New York Times
Matthews on falling in love with hockey: "My father and uncle (Billy Matthews) took me to my first Phoenix Coyotes' hockey game when I was 2 years old. I can't remember much back then, but as the years went on, I remember thinking what a fast-paced game it was. It was really fun to watch, and once I started playing, I was intrigued even more. I can't really explain it. It was just a passion to play the game that came over me."
Source: NHL.com
In 2012, Matthews moved to Michigan and joined the United States National Team Development Program.
Source: NHL.com
In 2013, Matthews suffered a serious injury when he broke his femur in a game while playing in just his second game for USA Hockey's Under-17 National Team. The injury required surgery, but he says it made him "stronger mentally."
Source: NHL.com
At 16, Matthews was being home schooled with an accelerated program so that he could potentially enroll in college in 2015.
SOURCE: New York Times
That same year (2014), Matthews started to get noticed nationally with his play at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp, scoring 117 points in one year, including 10 goals in 10 games against college teams. Not bad for a junior in high school.
Prior to the 2015-16 season, Matthews spurned both college hockey and the Everett Silvertips of the WHL who held his amateur draft rights.
Instead, Matthews chose the near-unprecedented route of playing professionally in Switzerland for one season while waiting to become eligible for the NHL Draft. He signed with the ZSC Lions.
Auston's mother and older sister moved to Zurich to help him adjust to life in Europe. Auston's father stayed in Scottsdale with Auston's younger sister who was still in school and plays golf.
Source: ESPN.com
Matthews was born two weeks late which made him ineligible for the 2015 NHL Draft by two days. As a result, he became the first pick of the 2016 NHL Draft when the Maple Leafs called his name.
Matthews on joining the Leafs: "I don't really think about [being a savior for the Maple Leafs]. Hockey is a team game and obviously I want to be an impact player. I want to make the team better and get better each day, so that's my goal going forward. This is a passionate hockey market, but I think I can take it."
Source: NHL.com
At the World Cup of Hockey this summer, Matthews scored two goals and had an assist in three games for Team North America.
But Auston really made his mark when he scored four goals in his debut with the Maple Leafs. Here are the first three, including the second goal in which he seemingly beat the entire Ottawa team by himself.
Matthews became the first player to score four goals in his NHL debut and just the fourth player in the last 30 years to score four goals in a game before turning 20. That's a pretty good start for a kid from Scottsdale.
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