Leading up to the 2015 draft there were a multitude of stories surrounding the race between Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel and who would be selected No. 1 overall. This year, Auston Matthews is a near lock to be selected first. The buzz surrounding both McDavid and Eichel made it an intriguing story to follow all year long, but it could have been even better if not for some fortuitous timing.
Matthews was born on September 17, 1997 which makes him 18 years old. Had Mrs. Matthews given birth 48 hours earlier, there’s a very good chance that Auston would be skating in the NHL today instead of for the ZSC Lions in Zurich, Switzerland. Birth date aside, if not for a family move there’s a chance Matthews may not have even become a hockey player.
The consensus No. 1 overall pick for the 2016 NHL draft, a phrase that made Matthews chuckle each time I mentioned it, was born in San Francisco but grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hockey in Arizona is a contentious subject in 2015, and the internet seems to always be poking fun at the Coyotes’ inability to draw sizable crowds.
People may scoff at the Coyotes, but without them there may not have been an Auston Matthews.
“It is a huge reason why I started playing hockey,” said Matthews during a phone interview from Zurich that started off rocky due to technical glitches. “That’s exactly how I got into it. I started going to games when I was two or three years old. They (the Coyotes) are a big reason why hockey is growing in Arizona. This year they have a fun team to watch, and it is cool to see how the kids have helped grow hockey so far.”
Matthews cut his teeth with the Arizona Bobcats in Bantam, and moved his way up to the 16U team before going to the USHL and USDP. It was this quick progression that suggested the talented prospect could take a different path, and that’s exactly what happened. Instead of following a traditional development route, Matthews made the decision to spend his draft year overseas instead of developing his craft in the CHL or NCAA.
The decision was one that required a lot of thought, and something Matthews had been thinking about for quite sometime.
“The extra year is great to have I guess,” said Matthews. “My goal is to play in the NHL next year. It is what I want to do. I really believe playing here (in Zurich) will help me.”
It has been obvious to many that Matthews is a special player, and that he is someone who embraces challenges. In his last season with the U.S. National U18 Team, the 6-2, 205-pound center notched 55 goals and tallied 61 assists for 116 points in just 60 games.
Kane once held the USDP scoring record for a single season.
That campaign enabled him to break the record once held by Patrick Kane—the best player in the NHL today according to Matthews— but that didn’t faze him.
“It was great to set the scoring record, but overall the goal was to win a championship, and I was glad to have accomplished that goal.”
Matthews is referring to the United States’ gold medal victory at the WJC U-18 tournament in which he tallied eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in seven games. He also represented the U.S. on the U-20 team that was eliminated in the Quarterfinal round, and he scored a goal while assisting on two others in five games.
Matthews domination during the 2014-15 season in which he was awarded the USA Hockey Bob Johnson Award for excellence in international competition made it clear that he was ready for a new challenge. He’s found that in Zurich, and to date he’s enjoyed the competition.
“The experience of playing against men each and every night is a challenge. It is a very high-end, competitive and skilled league. I look at it as something positive for me to get to the next level.”
When asked if making the decision to go overseas added any additional pressure to perform, Matthews said,
“I was confident in my abilities as a hockey player. I never really had any doubts. I think if you have doubts or are scared that’s when you don’t play well or to the level you are capable of. For me I think it has worked out so far.”
Another positive of playing for a team like the Lions is that Matthews has the chance to interact with former NHL players who know what it takes. Two prominent players include defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and forward Robert Nilsson, but the player Matthews has been able to lean on is 32-year-old Ryan Shannon, a member of the 2006-07 Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks.
“The experience of playing with NHL players is cool. Ryan Shannon is someone I’ve gotten close to, and he helped me transition to Zurich. He actually lives two apartments above me.”
Overall he’s found it beneficial to have former players around and the ability to pick their brain about certain things related to hockey. Having former NHL players around is one thing, but Matthews is being coached by 1996 Stanley Cup champion Marc Crawford, and to date he’s enjoyed the experience.
“Coach Crawford is great, getting to learn from him and his style has been nice. He’s focused with me on my defensive zone positioning. He helps break that down for me, and I’ve come a long way with that specifically, but there’s still a ways to go.”
Matthews also spoke highly of Don Granato who was his bench boss during his time with the USDP, and someone who he learned a lot from.
Developing his defensive game is something important to Matthews as he already feels his offensive skills are at a good place. He wants to polish that aspect of his game, because he feels ultimately he can be an all-around impact player. To get a sense of the type of player Matthews wants to be, I asked him what he would do if he had to build himself as a character in EA’s NHL 16 video game
“Man, that’s kind a tough question. It is great to be a big-time goal scorer, playmaker or power forward, but I try to be a complete player. A skillful two-way center who makes plays, scores goals and is always competitive.”
One of the few drawbacks of Matthews being in Zurich is the time difference, and that limits his ability to watch NHL games.
Matthews enjoys watching Toews, tries and emulate parts of his game.
Despite the fact that there is a seven hour difference, Matthews enjoys watching Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’s one of the players he tries to emulate.
“I like to watch Toews, I love his work ethic, and his competitiveness is fun to watch. I try to watch, see what works, try it out and see if it can be applied to my game.”
Matthews also enjoys Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and it was funny to hear him say that because that is the player who his own coach has compared him to on occasion.
‘At times (Matthews) reminds me of Anze Kopitar, and at times, Jean Beliveau (because) of his reach and seemingly effortless stride,” said Marc Crawford, the Zurich coach who held the same job in the NHL for 15 seasons. ‘His awareness without the puck is a work in progress. But I can tell you that when you show him something he makes the adjustment immediately. Wow, is that impressive.’
It is to marvel at Matthews overall talent, but one of things that stands out is his intelligence, self awareness and willingness analyze and improve parts of his game. The NHL has a number of statistics that are used to judge a player, and independent sites such as War-on-Ice do a great job of tracking stats such as Corsi, Fenwick, PDO and so on. There are a number of opinions on the validity of these numbers from players to writers and even hockey executives, so I was interested to see what a top prospect such as Matthews thought about the situation.
“The analytical part is something that is growing in the game, and I’m fortunate to work with a guy named Darryl Belfrey.”
Belfrey is a leading skills coach with years of experience and according to his website, “over the last 20 years he has honed his craft pioneering the most innovative approach to practical analytics and skill development in the game today.” Matthews has benefited first hand from his attention to detail, and he feels it has made him a better player.
“He breaks down film of my game in a way I haven’t seen before. Whether it is going over how many puck touches you get or where you are (on the ice), it is unique and good to see to help break down your game.”
The top prospect returned to the lineup on November 25, after being sidelined for a month. Matthews is itching to get back in, and he added to the 10 goals and 16 points in 14 games he’s played as he prepares for the upcoming draft.
Watch Auston Matthews split the D again for his second goal of the game. What injury? https://t.co/nRu8r53kuc
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) November 25, 2015
“There was a little bump in the road. It is hockey and that happens. I’m just excited to be back with the boys and playing hockey.”
Stats via Elite Prospects. Quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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