Auston Matthews opens up about his “toughest” season yet as Maple Leafs captain | NHL News
For Leafs fans, this past season wasn’t just disappointing, it was gut-wrenching. Watching Auston Matthews, the team’s newly minted captain and one of the NHL’s most electric scorers, struggle on the ice was tough to stomach. But now, as Matthews finally reflects on what went wrong, we’re learning it wasn’t just bad luck or cold streaks, he was playing through an injury that haunted him all season long.And here’s the kicker: he didn’t tell anyone.
A hidden injury: What Auston Matthews was battling behind closed doors
When Auston Matthews was named captain, it wasn’t just a promotion, it was a promise. In hockey-crazed Toronto, the captain isn’t just the guy with the letter on his jersey; he’s the emotional leader, the face of every playoff dream and heartbreak. Matthews entered this season fresh off a jaw-dropping 69-goal performance the year before, with fans and media expecting him to carry the team deep into the playoffs.But beneath the confident press conferences and highlight reels, Matthews was hiding something that made his job infinitely harder.Matthews recently revealed that he picked up an injury in training camp before the season even began. “It was a very tough season,” he told reporters. “I don’t need to get into specifics, but I got injured in training camp. Obviously, I wasn’t feeling great throughout the first month.”
Instead of taking extended time off, Matthews tried everything: time away from the lineup, special treatments in Germany, anything to get back to full strength. But the injury lingered, chipping away at the most important parts of his game. His famous shot? It dropped to a 12.6% shooting percentage, a clear dip from his usual elite numbers. His total? 33 goals in 67 games, a sharp fall from the previous season’s historic tally.It wasn’t just the goals. Matthews admitted the injury affected “a lot of different things” in his game. When your body isn’t right, your mind starts slipping too and for a captain, that’s doubly hard. You’re expected to lift the room, keep spirits high, and lead on the ice, even when you’re far from your best.Also read – Auston Matthews and his fans got emotional as his mother opened up about the financial struggles of getting him into hockey
