Auston Matthews returned with the Toronto Maple Leafs after winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, leading an epic run for Team USA that ended with an overtime victory in the final over a Canadian team that featured stars such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Mitch Marner, and Brad Marchand.
During an interview with Shawn McKenzie, Matthews acknowledged that it was one of the best moments of his career. “It’s been special. It’s been a lot of fun. It’s something you dream of and it feels amazing to be able to accomplish that and represent your country. It’s all been worth it.”
Canada was the favorite at the start of the tournament, but then lost Sidney Crosby to injury in the knockout stages. Although Jon Cooper’s team dominated the final, Team USA’s resilience and defensive discipline were too much to overcome after the historic goal by Jack Hughes in overtime.
Auston Matthews and his new challenge with Leafs
Auston Matthews hopes that all the experience gained with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics can help him lead a deep run with the Leafs as they try to win the Stanley Cup this season.
“I think you learn a lot throughout those couple of weeks. I think you kind of get a taste of winning and how incredible it is to accomplish something with a group of guys and a team. For myself, coming back, hopefully that gives me a boost, gives me some confidence helping us close out this season in the right fashion pushing for a playoff spot.”
For that reason, despite several days of celebrations, Matthews did not hesitate to immediately rejoin Toronto. “I know where we’re at right now as far as the standings, the season and stuff like that. Continue to just be a professional and be here for the team. It’s important for me to be here for my teammates. We have a really important stretch of games during the rest of the season. That’s what it’s all about.”