How Auston Matthews is embracing his captain's role with Maple Leafs

Now 29 years old and one of the older players on the team, captain getting better grip on dressing room vibe in big season

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Two training camps ago, the Maple Leafs sowed the ‘C’ seed in Auston Matthews.

This could be the season it blooms.

Trying to find the right leadership style was a challenge to Matthews after John Tavares set such a high bar, while Matthews’s own journey was disrupted by missing close to 40 games with injuries. He and many Leafs were playoff outsiders for the first time last spring, as a third Toronto coach was replaced in his tenure, which contractually, has two years to run.

Many outsiders figured he was looking for an escape route, though he’d assured ownership that wasn’t the case, at least until everyone saw what direction the new front office took.

But coincidental with his apparent return to full health has been a complete makeover of the Leafs, from the top of the hockey department, behind the bench, right through the roster with a No. 1 overall draft pick and all the way to the training staff.

If the good vibes around Matthews at this camp are any indication – we get they’ve yet to play a real game – he looks and sounds more ascendant in his role. When the team made its decision on this year’s post-camp bonding expedition, it was to Matthews’s backyard in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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“There was time between now and the first game, so it was about something away from here,” Matthews said before departing. “That’s important (to have team time) and I‘m definitely not complaining that it’s in my hometown.

“The guys have been here a few weeks, trying to do stuff together, with significant others as well. We’ve tried to get guys as acclimatized and comfortable as quickly as possible. I think we’ve done that.”

While Matthews’s infrequent informal dealings with the media as captain, versus the very available Tavares and Mats Sundin, have led many to dismiss him as too aloof in the role and therefore not effective, his coaches have maintained his leadership behind the scenes is a big part of the club dynamic. That must show itself more if 2026-27 is to include playoff pursuit.

Matthews was to have had the players over to his compound in Scottsdale with its sports court, reminiscent of 23 years ago when Sundin hosted the Leafs when they trained in Sweden. The Leafs of that era talked about that Baltic seaside bash for years.

As Chayka’s senior executive assistant, Hall of Famer Sundin has been trying to influence off-ice dynamics and has lots to offer Matthews.

“I haven’t seen him that much at camp, but he’s around and definitely making sure things are going in the right direction,” Matthews said. “He has great input and is a very easy guy to speak to, to feed off of, and pick his brain on different things.”

Three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner Matthews is no longer at cross purposes with his coach’s style. Jim Hiller gives him more creative leash than Craig Berube last year and Chayka acquired Matthews’s one-time junior linemate Jack Roslovic among others.

The Leafs were scheduled to fly home Saturday night, get a day to re-adjust body clocks to a three-hour time difference, and have a final tune-up practice Monday.

Nick Paul and Dakota Joshua, who were nursing injuries before the Arizona trip, are nearing a return. At 5 p.m. Monday, the cap compliant 23-man roster must be submitted to the league, which in the Leafs’ case will see them officially move winger Max Domi’s $3.75 million US cap hit to long term injured reserve. That’s takes them out of the excess they’ve carried all summer, leaving just over $1 million to upgrade defenceman Nick Blankenburg’s PTO contract to a minimum one-year NHL deal.

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