After the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews discussed his disappointment from the series loss to the Panthers, his first year wearing the C for the organization, the injury situation he battled all season long, and Mitch Marner’s uncertain future in Toronto.
There was a lot of talk about pressure in the market after the loss to the Panthers. Where do you land on that as an excuse or crutch for the past failures?
Matthews: I don’t think that is ever something that gets talked about too much or is too much of a focus. It is the nature of playing here. It comes with the territory.
As I said before, it is an amazing place to play. I love playing in Toronto for this fan base and this organization. That kind of stuff is outside noise that isn’t really focused on or talked about too much in our locker room.
How challenging was the season for you physically?
Matthews: It was tough. Physically, it was a very tough season.
I don’t need to get into the specifics of stuff, but I got injured in training camp. I wasn’t feeling great throughout the first month or so of the season. I took some time off. I went to Germany and did all of these things to try to feel better. I was kind of in a place where I felt I could manage it.
There were some good stretches where I felt good. There were some stretches where I didn’t feel very good. Definitely, it was a tough year physically, but I am really confident that with some time off and with going through my process and treatment, I will be back to 100% next season. There is nothing to really worry about.
Do you need surgery?
Matthews: No.
Did it affect your ability to shoot the puck?
Matthews: I think it impacted a lot of different things, for sure, yeah.
It’s your right to keep the injury situation private, but it also leads to a lot of speculation. Why have you chosen to be tight-lipped about that information?
Matthews: Because I can. It is my right, I believe.
Do you find that other teams can target your injuries, and is that a factor?
Matthews: Yeah, definitely.
Did you re-aggravate whatever was ailing you in the playoffs?
Matthews: As I said, there were good stretches and stretches that weren’t so good. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, unfortunately, throughout the whole season and the whole playoffs on a day-to-day basis.
Can you talk about how important Mitch Marner is to the team and how difficult it would be to lose him in free agency?
Matthews: It is tough. He is a brother. He is such a good teammate and friend. We are extremely close. He is extremely close with a lot of guys on the team. He is a big, big part of our team and has been a big part of our team.
Unfortunately, that is the nature of the business. People will come and go. He has the right to make his own decision. We all love him very much. He is an amazing person and teammate.
John Tavares has expressed a desire to stay in Toronto. What has it been like to play with him all of these years?
Matthews: It has been amazing, the support he’s provided since last summer with the captaincy, the mentorship he brings every day, and his professionalism. He is a guy I lean on a lot for a lot of different things. He is a guy who has been in this situation and has been in my shoes before. I can’t say enough good things about him.
How do you feel like you grew in your first year as captain on the leadership side of things?
Matthews: I think there was a lot of growth there. I thought Chief pushed me in different areas. There was also the support of John and other guys who have been around for a while. There were a lot of steps taken. It was definitely very eye-opening, but I want to continue to get better in that area.
Can you give an example of when Craig Berube pushed you?
Matthews: It’s just the communication day in and day out. Talking with him, sometimes you think about things you maybe wouldn’t have thought of before, and you come up with different ideas.
He is a great communicator with the way he interacts with everybody on the team, from staff to players. Makes everybody feel important. You always know where you stand with him.
How would you describe the difficulty of the overall season, taking over the captaincy, learning a new style of play, and battling an injury from day one?
Matthews: I don’t think I really look at it that way. I feel very fortunate every day to wake up and do what I love with the opportunity to compete in the NHL on a nightly basis and play with this group of guys in a city like Toronto. That is not really the way I look at it and go about it. No matter what, every day when you wake up, I try to feel fortunate for what is in front of me and be present every day.
When you look at this playoff loss compared to previous years, what about it felt different?
Matthews: This one probably stings the most. There are 16 teams. You get down to eight. We’re right there, one game away from being in the final four in the Eastern Conference Final. It is very frustrating.
Everybody here cares. They want to win. We are passionate about doing that. The idea and prospect that you are that close to being that close… That one definitely stings.
