Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews Talks About the Weather
By Paul Taylor
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ first overall draft pick Auston Matthews spoke to the media on day one of development camp and, among other things, discussed what he expects the weather to be like in Canada.
July 4th was a big day for the Toronto Maple Leafs, with Auston Matthews making his first appearance on the ice wearing a Leafs jersey. And yet, all the 2016 first overall draft pick wanted to do, was discuss the weather with NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika and the rest of the media.
Okay, that’s not entirely the case, but Matthews was asked about what he expects the weather to be like in Canada: “Probably a lot colder, but I’m used to it, playing in (Switzerland) for a couple of years. It’s pretty similar, but I’m definitely very excited to be here.”
In truth, the conversation about the weather actually came towards the end of the interview. The first thing the 18-year was asked about was if he was able to separate nervousness from excitement, as he prepared to take his first big step.
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Matthews said: “For sure. It’s definitely exciting to finally be here and get a sense of what it’s going to be like.
“It’s a huge honor to put on the Maple Leafs sweater and go out there and do a little skating. It’s definitely pretty cool.”
One big question is if the San Ramon, California native will be able to cope with the intense media attention that comes with playing in Toronto? The Leafs believe he can and to be fair, he looked very calm and composed throughout the interview, despite all the extra cameras and microphones.
Regardless, Matthews was asked about handling it all: “I think you get used to it for sure. I guess it comes with the territory now, so I don’t really have a problem with it.”
The two-time IIHF World U18 Championship Gold medal winner also gave an insight into how his first day with the Leafs had gone: “We woke up, came over here and did some medical stuff – body composition and a little bit of physical testing.
“Then we hopped on the ice. We’ve got some more seminars and stuff later on and I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
It goes without saying that Matthews isn’t the only one looking forward to what lies ahead. Here is the full version of his interview with the media:
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With the start of development camp, how intrigued are you about the 2016-17 season? More importantly – if it’s possible – can you give an objective perspective on what you expect from the Leafs in the upcoming campaign? Let us know in the comments section below.