Where is Auston Matthews from? Hometown, junior career, more to know about USA star’s Arizona roots
Auston Matthews is one of the best hockey players in the NHL.
The American forward was named Rookie of the Year for the 2016-17 season and won his first MVP award for the 2021-22 season. Matthews has spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs and, despite making the playoffs every season, is still searching for his first Stanley Cup title.
Matthews is also a key member of the United States national team, competing for Team USA in the Four Nations tournament as well as the Olympics.
Here is more on where Matthews is from.
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Where is Auston Matthews from?
Matthews was born in San Ramon, California on September 17, 1997. When he was still an infant, his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. Matthews’ amateur career was spent with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, which is based in Plymouth, Michigan. The center spent a year in Switzerland playing for the ZSC Lions. Other than that, he has lived in Toronto throughout his entire professional career.
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Where did Auston Matthews play junior hockey?
The typical path to the NHL sees many hockey players competing in junior hockey leagues to get experience and then either playing in college or going right into the NHL if they are talented enough.
Matthews was plenty talented, but he didn’t play junior hockey. He was drafted by the Everett Silvertips in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft which would have been his junior hockey selection, but instead he opted to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
They play in the United States Hockey League, but the general consensus is that they prepare to play international hockey. It became time after the 2014-2015 season for him to decide to either play amateur hockey, switch to major junior hockey in Canada or to play professionally abroad.
Matthews opted to play for the ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League A in Switzerland. After a year with that team, he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
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Auston Matthews career stats
SeasonTeamGPGoalsAssistsPoints+/-2016-17Maple Leafs8240296922017-18Maple Leafs62342963252018-19Maple Leafs68373673-92019-20Maple Leafs70473380192020-21Maple Leafs52412566212021-22Maple Leafs736046106202022-23Maple Leafs74404585312023-24Maple Leafs816938107312024-25Maple Leafs67334578112025-26Maple Leafs512622484TotalMaple Leafs680427348775155
