Who is the Toronto Maple Leafs' Best Active Homegrown Player? Brought to You By Upper Deck
In collaboration with Upper Deck, The Hockey News will cover each NHL team's best active homegrown player. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, it is Auston Matthews.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have quite a few talented homegrown players, but they have never had a franchise definer quite like Auston Matthews.
Drafted by the Leafs with the first pick (first overall) in the 20216 NHL Draft, Matthews' ascent in the hockey world from an Arizona youth to an NHL superstar has been both record-breaking and trailblazing. Born on September 17, 1997, in San Ramon, California, Matthews relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where his passion for hockey ignited while attending Phoenix Coyotes games. Despite hockey being a niche sport in Arizona, his parents supported his passion, facilitating his enrollment in local youth hockey programs.
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Matthews' prodigious talent was evident early on. Playing for the Arizona Bobcats and later for the prestigious U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he quickly distinguished himself, breaking Patrick Kane's single-season points record, underscoring his elite potential.
Missing the cutoff for the 2015 NHL Draft by a coule of days, Matthews took a new path for an American prospect by choosing to spend his 2015-16 season professionally in Europe rather than joining the Canadian junior leagues or the NCAA. He signed with the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League. He excelled in Switzerland, scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games, and was named the league's Rising Star.
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Matthews made an immediate impact in his NHL debut on October 12, 2016 when he scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators, setting a modern-day record for most goals in a debut. He finished his rookie season with 40 goals and 69 points, leading all rookies and earning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. His performance was instrumental in helping the Maple Leafs reach the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
In subsequent seasons, Matthews continued to establish himself as one of the NHL's elite players. Despite facing some injury challenges, he consistently produced at an exceptional level. In the 2020-2021 season, Matthews won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer with 41 goals in 52 games, despite the season being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He followed this up with another Rocket Richard Trophy in the 2021-2022 season, scoring an impressive 60 goals, a feat that set a new Maple Leafs franchise record for the most goals in a single season, breaking Rick Vaive’s previous record of 54 goals. He also won his first Hart Trophy in 2022.
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Throughout his tenure with the Maple Leafs, Matthews has achieved numerous milestones and set several records. He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 200 goals and is the first Maple Leaf to score at least 30 goals in each of his first four NHL seasons. In 2022, he became the first player in Maple Leafs history to score 50 goals in a season since Dave Andreychuk in 1993-1994. Matthews has also been selected to multiple NHL All-Star Games and named to the NHL First All-Star Team.
Last season, he became the first player to score 69 goals since Mario Lemieux back in 1995-96 and Matthews is the only active NHL player to produce multiple 60-goal seasons.
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As of now, Auston Matthews continues to be a dominant force in the NHL. With his name consistently mentioned among the league’s best players and multiple All-Star selections, his career trajectory suggests he will be a key figure in hockey for years to come. His blend of skill, power, and poise under pressure not only benefits the Maple Leafs but also elevates the sport's profile, particularly in regions where hockey is still growing.
On any other team, homegrown talent like Mitch Marner (fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft) or William Nylander (eighth overall in 2014 NHL Draft), but Matthews has been in a league of his own with his scoring ability and is, without question, Toronto's best homegrown player.
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