Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews poised to represent U.S. at 4 Nations Face-Off after recent injury absence

Credit: Dec 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) gets set on a face-off against the Chicago Blackhawks during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Despite missing 15 games this season due to an upper-body injury, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is on track to represent his native United States at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

“There’s nothing right at this point that would make me worry about (his participation),” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told NHL.com correspondent Dave McCarthy. “We’re still a month away or so. With all players you look at where they are at that time. But hopefully there are no setbacks and everything keeps moving forward.”

Hosted in Boston and Montreal, the puck drops for the inaugural international tournament on February 12, featuring teams representing the United States, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. Matthews is one of 13 forwards named to the American squad, his latest opportunity to represent the United States internationally following past participation in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Under-18 World Championship, the World Juniors, and the World Championship.

During an injury absence earlier this season, Matthews visited a German-based doctor to receive treatment on the upper-body ailment. The first-year Maple Leafs captain missed nine games as part of the absence, later returning for 11 contests before then being sidelined for six more games due to the same ailment. Matthews returned to the lineup in early January where in the following five contests he has scored three goals and added five assists for eight points.

In all, through 29 appearances with the Maple Leafs this season, the 27-year-old product of Scottsdale, Ariz., has impressed in limited action as he tallied 14 goals with 17 assists for 31 points to sit fourth in team scoring.

The first-overall selection from the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews has spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs, where through nine seasons and 591 total appearances he has amassed 382 goals and 298 assists for 680 points, underscored by three-time Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy recognition as the NHL’s leading goal scorer.