Auston Matthews has become the leading goal scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs history.
The Maple Leafs captain passed Hall of Famer Mats Sundin with the 421st goal of his career in a Toronto uniform at 17:19 of the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Saturday.
Matthews set the mark on a one-timer from the right circle. Max Domi won a puck battle at the blue line, getting it to Bobby McMann, who then sent it cross-ice to a wide-open Matthews for his 20th of the season.
Matthews tied Sundin with his 420th NHL goal, his 19th this season, at 9:30 of the second period. Toronto’s Jake McCabe knocked the puck free, and Matthews skated onto it at the blue line and broke in alone on David Rittich to tie the game 1-1.
The 28-year-old, selected by Toronto with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, accomplished the feat in 664 games. Sundin scored 420 goals in 981 games with Toronto from 1995-2008.
“I couldn’t think of anyone better to break my record,” Sundin told NHL.com Nov. 10.
“He’s represented the team and himself with class and has shown he’s a special player.”
Matthews is a three-time winner of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals in an NHL season, accomplishing the feat in 2020-21 (41 goals), 2021-22 (60 goals) and 2023-24 (NHL career-high 69 goals).
In 2020-21 he became the first Maple Leafs player to lead the NHL in goals since Gaye Stewart scored 37 in 1945-46; and the first United States-born player to do it since Keith Tkachuk scored 52 for the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996-97.
His 69 goals in 2023-24 were the most by a Toronto player in a single season, a total matched or surpassed by only nine other players in NHL history.
“(Sundin) is awesome,” Matthews told NHL.com last month when told of Sundin’s support to break the record. “I mean, I think, just getting to know him, there’s a reason why people talk so highly about him. Just the kind of leader that he was and the kind of person that he was and is. And I think that’s great.
“I think you kind of look at what happened with Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin last year, Ovechkin breaking his all-time goal record and the classy way Gretzky reacted. I think records are meant to be broken. And I think it’s cool to witness that. You’re supposed to leave the game better than it was when you got there, and guys are supposed to be better, and the game’s supposed to grow. So I think that’s just a part of the game in general.”
Matthews was one of the first six players named to the United States team that will compete in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The remainder of the U.S. team was announced Friday.
Voted the winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 2021-22, Matthews has always been known for his shot and quick release, a skill that has earned him admiration from around the League.
“It’s the speed he gets it off with, and the velocity with which it goes,” Maple Leafs forward John Tavares said. “It’s special.
“It’s easy to see why he’s had so much success scoring goals.”
Like no other player in Maple Leafs history.
