The Everything Auston Matthews thread

Jeremy said:

I didn't catch all the details but they just mentioned during the Raps game there will be a Auston Matthews special this coming Monday (November 20) on Sportsnet at 9:30 pm.

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rated said:

hmm apparently. I checked sportsnet listings, its called "I AM: Auston Matthews: 1" Comes on after the Leaf/Coyote game

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"Which current NHL-er's skills do you admire the most?

BARKOV: Right now, probably Auston Matthews. I don't think I've played against any better player than him. He is so good. It was tough to stay with him [on Wednesday]. It's tough to believe how good he's going to be later. He impressed me a lot yesterday. I knew before he was that good, but I didn't know he was THAT good. It's nice to play against good players and learn from them."

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Auston Matthews: Making a difference in the community
BY SCOTT WHEELER

In the days after the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Auston Matthews first overall at the 2016 NHL draft, he and his father, Brian, began to do their homework.
It started with a Google search of three words.

“Cystic fibrosis Toronto.”

One of the top results was for the SickKids’ Cystic Fibrosis Centre. The Matthews quietly reached out to the hospital, even before they had set foot in the city. They had a personal connection to the disease and wanted a way to give back in what would be their new home.

Fifteen years earlier, when Matthews was three and a half years old, his uncle Bill passed away from cystic fibrosis in his early 30s. Bill Matthews was an avid hockey fan — a season-ticket holder with the then-Phoenix Coyotes — and had introduced his young nephew to hockey by taking him to his first NHL games.

“He was the only one in our family that has had it,” Auston Matthews told The Athletic's James Mirtle recently. “It was a lot different back then, with the stuff that you’ve got to do to stay alive and treatments. It’s a pretty tough disease.

“He was really close with my dad, so it's just a disease that’s close to not only myself but my whole family. SickKids has a really good program, and I’ve met some really good people (on the staff). The lady that runs it, her name’s Lisa. I go over there quite a bit. I just go over there and visit them.”

Lisa Charendoff is the hospital’s associate director of community relations. She is the one who fielded the Matthews' first phone call in the summer of 2016 after the father and son had a conversation about how he wanted to make an impact off the ice in Toronto.

Ever since, Matthews has paid SickKids’ cystic fibrosis ward a private visit once a month, spending one-on-one time with the young children and families battling the disease at the hospital. Off days are few and far between during an NHL season, but Matthews' visits are long. They also often include additional stops when staff ask if Matthews can see a patient in another ward who needs a lift.

He never says no.

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“They weren’t looking for any personal publicity for doing this,” Charendoff says. “They really just wanted an opportunity to make a difference for kids and families who have cystic fibrosis. He just, one at a time, meets with patient families. Very quiet, intimate, low key, personal visits.”

...

“My impression, from the minute I met him, was that he was an extremely respectful, dignified, mature young man,” Charendoff says. “It’s hard to believe that he was at the time 19. He was so down to earth, did not walk in with any kind of attitude or strut, and that first impression was born out with every subsequent time he came into the hospital. He’s very natural with these kids and families.”

Early on, Matthews was able to conduct his visits in relative anonymity. These days that’s not possible, particularly in hospital elevators, where he is quickly spotted by guests and staff.

But his rising star hasn't affected his time with cystic fibrosis patients.

“(Auston and Brian) have never breezed in, breezed out,” Charendoff says. “They have taken as much time as is necessary. It’s not easy to see kids who are struggling, but he has been able to manage it with great maturity and just be very present, in the moment, great eye contact, no rush, just in the room with those kids for as long as those kids want him to be there. He’s very patient, even when staff come up and ask for a photo with him. We tend to be a little bit more protective and say it’s really for the kids, but they’ve been clear they want to support the CF staff, too.”

...

One SickKids patient Matthews has formed a unique bond with is Colton Stothers, a local minor hockey player who suffers from primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare condition similar to cystic fibrosis. Stothers first met Matthews right before he was scheduled to go on a Make-A-Wish trip to the NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles last January.

When Stothers visited players in the dressing room, Matthews greeted him by name and they had a moment together. Matthews also made a point to call and talk to Stothers' minor hockey team before one of their games after an early visit.

“He’s very genuine,” says Rick Stothers, Colton's father. “He’s not a larger-than-life character. Just someone you can relate to, someone you can talk to. It’s amazing how down-to-earth Matthews is and how much he and his family are willing to give back to the community on their own. Auston knowing (Colton's) name and remembering him was priceless for him. Those little things along the way, it means a ton to him. It just puts an extra step in his stride.

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“I’m really fond of him and his dad. They’re the real deal, you know? They’re just super nice. He’s so unassuming. Some celebrities want you to notice them. He’s just like ‘I’m here for these kids. I’m not here to talk about me.’ It’s really evident.”

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Those who have seen it have been won over. Some believe that Matthews has already started to leave his mark in Toronto in a big way, bigger than being the franchise-altering centre who has changed the trajectory of Maple Leafs on the ice.

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No67 said:

Need this guy back pronto. The entire team benefits from Auston carrying the load offensively and wearing out the opposition. It's no coincidence the other guys are slumping with Matthews on the shelf.

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No67 said:

Thanks. New member.

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“’Put a smile on your face. You get healthier quicker when you’re smiling,’” said Babcock of his message to Matthews. “It’s sport; get to work, get back as fast as you can. Teammates would like to have him play. He’s a passionate guy, he wants to play. I’m not very concerned about him, he’s fine. We were joking around in there a minute ago. He’ll be ready to go.”

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Montana said:

What holds Auston back is both his being held back wrt I've time....but also how seemingly pedestrian he is on the PP, compared to the truly elite players in the league.

I feel like if he produced at a similar level on the PP to the guys he produces like at even strength....he'd be universally viewed as a top 2-4 player in the league.

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