Auston Matthews has lived up to his considerable hype

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s hard being a No. 1 draft pick in any sport. Imagine being a No. 1 draft pick who carries the hopes of a much-maligned hockey market, the weight of hockey’s biggest market and the expectations that come with the “franchise center” label.

Scottsdale product Auston Matthews is the rare player who has delivered on all counts. Following Friday’s 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes in his first game in his home state since the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him first overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews is second among NHL rookies with 16 goals, tied for second with 26 points and he has 10 goals in his last 14 games.

He is sixth in the NHL in shots on goal with 121, meaning he is generating chances on a consistent basis, including an eight-shot effort Monday against Anaheim which has only been accomplished 172 times in NHL history by a rookie, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Everything that he does is fast and he controls the play with his speed and his size,” Coyotes captain Shane Doan said. “The first goal is a great pass by him. He just has the ability to make great plays.”

Matthews tried to downplay this perfectly timed homecoming ahead of the Christmas break, which allows him to stay in Scottsdale for the holiday, but he had to acknowledge the magnitude of the moment and his coach encouraged him to.

“It’s a big story for us, too,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “Here’s a kid who’s a big part of our team and has a chance to be a big part of our franchise and is a special kid and the guys like him and he plays hard for us. We want him to walk out of here proud.”

Five hundred members of the Arizona Bobcats, the Junior Coyotes and other youth hockey programs were in attendance to watch him play. Countless family members and friends were there, and Matthews even took the time to pose for a photo with all those kids whose hockey dreams were inspired by the most famous Arizona hockey product.

When Matthews met with the media on Friday morning at Gila River Arena, the Maples Leafs media relations department organized two interview sessions — one for print; one for TV — to accommodate all the media members in attendance. When’s the last time that happened for a Coyotes game?

“You’re playing at home,” Matthews said. “This is where I grew up; this is where I live. It’s definitely special coming back here, playing the team you grew up watching.

“I’m sure it’ll be pretty emotional for [my parents]. They’ve been to Toronto a few times for games. My dad’s up there quite a bit, so I’m sure this one will have some very special meaning to them. For my grandparents, as well, this will be the first time they’ll watch me in the NHL so it’s going to be pretty great.”

Matthews wasted little time making an impact on the game. After taking the opening faceoff against Doan, a boyhood idol, Matthews stole the puck from Radim Vrbata at the Coyotes blue line and set up teammate Connor Brown for a 1-0 lead at 3:04 of the first period.

“It gives you confidence going forward any time you can help create a goal and produce on the score sheet,” he said.

Matthews admits there is constant attention when he is back in Toronto, or even on the road because of the hype surrounding him.

“You just try to keep your world small, have fun, stay focused on the team, stay focused on getting better,” he said. “Toronto’s obviously a great city, a lot of pressure from fans, but they’re all passionate. They all want to win, and I think that’s what we want to do, too.”

Earlier this season when Matthews had just three assists and no goals in a 13-game stretch, he could have wilted, but the combination of his physical and emotional maturity allowed him to bounce back.

“He was producing; he just wasn’t scoring,” Babcock said. “In the end, players all want to score and feel good about themselves but I thought he did a good job. Did he press at times? He might have, but I thought he did a good job of handling it and staying even. He seems to do that pretty well.

“He’s a mature kid, he works hard, he learns fast. Maybe his greatest skill is that he wants to be great, he’s  determined to be great, he grinds hard to be better and when you do those things your teammates have a great appreciation for you quickly.”

The NHL played a cruel little joke on Coyotes fans by parading the last two franchise centers drafted — Connor McDavid and Matthews — through the Valley in the Coyotes’ final two games before the Christmas break. It was a painful reminder of the opportunity the local team missed out on in the last two draft lotteries, but there was a bigger picture to view as Matthews posed with those kids and acknowledged the 14,377 fans that turned out to see him.

Nearly halfway through his first NHL season, Matthews has managed a challenging situation with grace, maturity and jaw-dropping ability. It’s a powerful image to broadcast to the rest of the NHL world about Arizona hockey, and it’s a powerful message to hand-deliver to those kids in attendance who would love to follow in Matthews’ footsteps.

“I know I had people I looked up to growing up in the Valley, whether it was guys that were older than me that I still skate with and train with today or guys that were playing on the Coyotes like Shane Doan or Daniel Briere, Keith Tkachuk,” Matthews said. “It’s definitely pretty humbling to be a little role model for kids growing up here in the Valley. It’s pretty special.”

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