OTTAWA – Of all the tidbits and advice Auston Matthews received while carving a unique path from Scottsdale to Ann Arbor to Zurich to Toronto, it was wisdom from an unlikely journeyman pro that stood out most.
"There’s never a bad day in the NHL."
That’s something Matthews was told by Pat Maroon while they played together for Team USA at the IIHF World Hockey Championship in May.
It stuck with him throughout the summer and during his first training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will probably be on his mind Wednesday as he prepares to make his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators.
No matter what happens from here, Matthews plans to have a smile on his face.
He’s officially made it.
"If you’re a healthy scratch, if you’re playing every day, whether it’s first-line minutes or fourth line, you have to enjoy it," Maroon told Sportsnet this week of the impactful words he shared with Matthews. "There’s obviously going to be bad days, but there’s never going to be a bad day if you sit there and think about it.
"We’re all getting to live our dream."
That is just as true of a 161st overall draft pick that took six years to become a NHL regular as it is of Matthews, who already occupies the spotlight less than a month after his 19th birthday.
He was the first No. 1 overall selection by the Maple Leafs since Wendel Clark in 1985, and is expected to lead a youth movement that changes the fortunes of the NHL’s most woebegone franchise.
It could all be a little overwhelming if you sat around and thought about it too much, but Matthews has instead tried to stay in the moment. He was even more at ease than your typical top prospect during training camp after already playing a season of pro hockey in Switzerland and holding his own at the World Cup, and was bubbling with enthusiasm in the hours before his first NHL game.
"It’s going to be a dream come true," Matthews said Tuesday. "It’s something that you think about ever since you’re a little kid. It’s going to be a special moment. My parents will be there. It’s going to be pretty special."
As big as the expectations are that he will soon be shouldering, there are plenty of people around to help him manage the load.
His father, Brian, plans to spend a good chunk of the season sharing an apartment with him in Toronto – which is something his mother, Ema, did last year in Switzerland. At the rink, the Leafs will go to great lengths to shield him from the glare of the media. Away from it, agent Pat Brisson of CAA Sports is well-versed in helping superstar clients ease their way into the league.
Matthews is also fortunate in some ways to be going through his first NHL season with a number of peers. Mitchell Marner, just four months his elder, is one of six fellow rookies that cracked the Leafs opening night roster. Two others – William Nylander and Zach Hyman – are starting the year as his wingers on the third line.
He’s already built some strong friendships here.
"We’re all going through similar things just getting started in the league," said Matthews. "It’s obviously tough to get adjusted to."
The 19-year-old had some dazzling moments in pre-season, but is focused on improving in the faceoff circle and getting to the middle of the ice more.
That’s where goals and points come from.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock plans to manage his matchups at 5-on-5 and deploy him on the second power-play unit initially. How quickly he moves up the lineup will depend entirely on his performance.
"He’s a young player, but we feel he’s an important player for us," said Babcock. "Over time, he has a chance to be a dominant player in the National Hockey League."
The list of those already marvelling at his ability includes Wayne Gretzky, who said last month that Matthews, Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby are carrying on the tradition of the sport "passed down from guys like Gordie Howe and (Jean) Beliveau and Bobby Orr."
It didn’t take teammates very long to figure out why he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
"Great player," said veteran defenceman Roman Polak. "Sometimes it just looks like he’s been playing in the NHL for a couple years already. It’s going to be exciting to see him for the first year.
"It could be a lot of pressure on him, but I think he’s going to handle it."
If there is a consistent theme running through Matthews’s life, it’s been an ability to surpass any hurdle placed in front of him.
There were a couple seasons as a child where he didn’t play organized hockey and yet he still became a No. 1 draft pick. At the recent World Cup, he started as Team North America’s 13th forward and ended up on the top line.
Even as an 18-year-old with the ZSC Lions who had to play against men, he was a standout. Same as at the world championship.
"It was amazing how fast his hands are and for a big guy how he can protect pucks," said Maroon. "How explosive he is with his skating. You could just tell he was ready."
As a kid born in California and raised in Arizona, Matthews blazed his own trail in reaching the NHL. He has the potential to make a significant impact on the Leafs and, because of his background, the sport in general.
However, he won’t be thinking in those terms when he takes the ice at Canadian Tire Centre.
Instead Matthews will be focused on the advice he got from Maroon, and trying not to take anything for granted.
