Auston Matthews American hockey player Date of Birth: 17.09.1997 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Hockey Roots
2. Professional Hockey Career
3. International Career
4. Personal Life
5. Recent Achievements

Early Life and Hockey Roots

Austin Matthews was born on September 17, 1997, in California. His father, Brian, is from the same state, while his mother, Ema, is from Mexico. Matthews has two sisters, Alexandria and Breana, and the family moved to Arizona when he was just two months old.

From an early age, Matthews' parents took him to hockey games. Initially, he was more fascinated by the Zamboni than the game itself. However, he soon became a dedicated fan of the Phoenix Coyotes, idolizing Shane Doan and Daniel Briere.

At the age of five, Matthews began playing hockey. He also played baseball, where he excelled as a hitter. However, he ultimately chose hockey due to his lack of speed in baseball.

Professional Hockey Career

Matthews' professional hockey career began in Europe, where he played for the Swiss club ZSC Lions in the 2015/2016 season. He scored 24 goals in 36 games and recorded 46 points, earning the league's "Rising Star" award and finishing second in the league's MVP rankings.

In July 2016, Matthews signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He made an immediate impact, scoring four goals in his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators.

Playing as a center, Matthews quickly established himself as one of the league's top goal scorers. He became the only player from the Maple Leafs to participate in the NHL All-Star Game in January 2017. At the end of his rookie season, he received the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.

Despite his exceptional individual performance, Matthews has not yet participated in a team trophy win. However, he did win the Maurice Richard Trophy for the 2020/2021 season, which is awarded to the NHL's top goal scorer.

International Career

Matthews' international career has been less successful than his club career. He has only won medals as a junior and has yet to have significant success at the adult level.

Personal Life

Matthews maintains a private personal life. He has been linked to Emily Rathledge and Jordyn Johnson in the past but has not publicly dated anyone recently.

Recent Achievements

In 2022, Matthews became the player to score 50 goals in the fewest games since 1996. He also notched his third hat-trick of the season on April 5, 2022, against the Tampa Bay Lightning.