Maple Leafs Rookie Rewind: Auston Matthews

After seeing Matthews score his 69th goal of the 2023-24 season, let's take a look back at what he was up to in his rookie year.

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Everyone loves looking back at the history of their favourite players, especially their rookie season when they just broke into the league. That’s what this article series is going to endeavour to do, rewind the tape and let you re-live the glory of their first season in the NHL.

From their first NHL goal to milestones and exciting moments, this will either be a nostalgic flashback or an exciting introduction to history. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the next player to be featured in this series, Auston Matthews, who is on the cusp of his first 70-goal season, putting him in a tier that only includes seven other players over 100-plus years of the NHL.

Flashback to the 2016 Draft When Matthews Was Selected 1st Overall

Going into the 2016 NHL Draft, Matthews was the consensus number-one pick. He was a generational talent punctuated by a dominant draft-minus-1 year in the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he put up 20 goals and 48 points in 24 games and his draft year in Switzerland with Zurich SC where he potted 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games. Yes, at 17 years old, he was playing against men in Europe and still scoring goals and putting up points.

Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr / The Hockey Writers)

Armed with the first-overall pick after a horrible 2015-16 season that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs finish last and win the Draft Lottery, they snagged the young sniper without a moment’s thought. And Maple Leafs fans didn’t have to wait long before they saw their next superstar pot his first goal (and hat trick) in the NHL.

Oct. 12, 2016 - Matthews Scores 4 Goals In His NHL Debut

Goaltender - Craig Anderson
Time of 1st NHL Goal - 8:21 of the first period, assisted by Zach Hyman & William Nylander