Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Pre Game @ Columbus Blue Jackets | November 26, 2025

Maple Leafs Full Media Availability | Pre Game @ Columbus Blue Jackets | November 26, 2025

Well, how do you feel? And I guess knowing that it looks like you’re going to get back in the lineup. What does that mean to you? Yeah, I feel great. Um feel a lot better. Um I’m just excited to get back in the lineup. It’s um you know, it sucks watching. You know, you just want to be out there and and help the guys. So, um you know, happy to do that today. I was going to ask, how trying has it been given that it’s not just you, but it’s so many others and you probably feel that pressure to kind of get back in and get going again. Yeah, I think every one of us, you know, that are, you know, out right now is is is itching to get back and just help out and um yeah, so I’m glad that I can, you know, come in healthy and and make an impact and and hopefully, you know, help us win. Uh I guess lead up to the game that we thought you might be playing in and then you got shut down. Like what was the process like for you? Yeah, I think um you know, it was kind of bugging me in the morning and I I just came in to see if it was possible if I warm it up and um try to get it going to see if I could play, but I think it was just getting worse. um it was kind of bothered me for a long time and um yeah, it just kept getting worse. So, I just thought, you know, it’s probably not the best to to keep playing on it and um yeah, it wasn’t I wasn’t wasn’t able to um um but fortunately now I you know, I got healthy and um we have an amazing crew here that uh you know uh took a lot of took good care of me and um yeah, so I’m happy to be back. at that point when was the realization that it might be more than just a few days like when you tried but then like like maybe I’m going to have to sit for a little while. Yeah, I think that was kind of the day, you know, um that morning skated obviously didn’t feel right. So, um from then on, you know, I just kind of noticed that it it would be best to kind of just stay off the ice, you know, was it’s one of those that, you know, it irritates you more the more you skate. So, um just needed a few days and then um yeah, just took took good care of it and and uh yeah, I’m back now. So, it’s it’s all good. How long have you been dealing with it? When did it pop up? Uh, probably over a month to be honest. Yeah, it was a while, but you know, it just uh was getting worse uh worse and worse and to to the point where obviously I couldn’t play. Um, so I just had to take care of it and and take some time. Was this something you have to manage moving forward or did the time off kind of put it away? The time off uh did a good job. you know, I think I can manage it well, but um I I’m sure I don’t have to worry about it since I took this time to to kind of heal it up and get it back to, you know, where it needs to be to to play and and to to make an impact on the ice. Um so, yeah, I’m just going to take good care of it. Um and yeah, move forward. What’s your sense of the group right now? Yeah, I think we’re uh we’re trying to climb ourselves out of it, you know. Um I think I think this road trip could be a good spark for that. Um, you know, I think if we have a good road trip, I think we could put be put in a really good spot and um, yeah, so I think we’re just trying to focus on on each game and um, get back in this. Just a thought on getting back in and what the last little stretch has been for you as you’ve had to wait for this moment. Yeah, it’s exciting. I mean, I think this is a great opportunity for us here on the road um, six games or so to, you know, really uh, come together as a group and and find our game, find our rhythm, um, starting tonight. So, this has been a, you know, a team that’s, uh, been really good against us. They’re good at home. They’ve been playing some good hockey. Um, you know, we just want to come out and and and play the right way. You don’t need to do anything too special. Just go out there and play hard and compete and communicate and um, just take it one shift at a time, but definitely excited to get back in there. How do you feel physically? Good. Yeah, really good. I mean, it’s uh, you know, been a tough couple couple weeks, but I think over the last uh, over the last four or five days or so, um, skating, practicing, um, you know, started to feel really good day after day. So, um, stack some, you know, positive momentum there going into it and, uh, you know, feel like I’m ready to go tonight. Always tough to miss time, but with the team going through the kind of struggles here, what’s this been like having a watch? I mean, it’s never easy regardless, but um, like I said, it’s today’s a new day. Uh, it’s a great opportunity for us. I think we’re excited to to be on the road, be out here together for, you know, extended period of time. And, um, it’s a great opportunity for us to to find our way through adversity. Is the injury something you’re going to have to manage or are you done with it? No, I don’t think so. I mean, I think it’s uh just kind of one of those things needs time to heal and um you know, especially over the next uh couple days or so, I’m sure it’ll just continue to feel better, but um yeah, I know I feel feel really solid and ready to play. So, you said this group just given that you know, you’re going to get you and Matthew back and knowing that you got a rally, you mentioned the road trip, health is one thing. Just the overall mindset of your group right now. Oh, I mean I think it’s just, you know, you feel like uh your back’s kind of against the wall and um you know, things haven’t really gone the way we wanted them to and especially as of late. So, uh like I said, it’s just a great opportunity for us to kind of rally together and um you know, fight through that adversity and it doesn’t have to be anything special or pretty. It’s just, you know, one line after another, every guy taking care individually of their of their job and just going out there working hard and competing and uh it just starts with one game and and that’s it and that’s the main focus. What was your view of the Sedora hit that kind of sparked the injury? I mean, uh, I’m 3 ft away from the boards and he hits me in, you know, the numbers, but, um, you know, I know his game and, you know, he likes to play hard and, um, you know, you respect that, but, uh, at the same time, I mean, maybe I could have put myself in a better position knowing that he’s out there, um, you know, to put myself away from getting hit like that, but in the end, it’s hockey and, um, you know, we go through it and uh it’s all good. I mean, it’s uh you know, a couple weeks ago and you just kind of move past it and do what you can to get back and like I said, I’m feeling good and excited to get back in the lineup. Why do you think the team has struggled to kind of find its rhythm early in this season? I don’t know. I mean, it’s uh could be a number of different factors and you never want to use excuses like um you know, just the health of you know, overall our team and just the guys that you know, we’ve had uh had out for extended periods of time. um you know cuz it’s kind of that next man up mentality and coming in and stepping in and you get guys that you know have more opportunity for roles and um I think in the end it’s just been the consistency of our game and I think we’ve talked about it a lot throughout the first 20 plus games but um there’s stretches where we have really good moments throughout games and there’s stretches where um you know we really uh failed to be connected throughout um the whole ice and and it really shows and so uh I think that’s just the main focus of going out there and taking care of your your line, taking care of your job, competing. Um, you know, it doesn’t have to be a special play every single shift. It’s just winning your shift and going from there and rolling over all four lines and and being able to do that and compete over a full 60 minutes. I think that’s just what we’re what we’re looking for. So, um, you know, for me it’s it’s always easy when you’re watching to kind of see how, you know, the play and everything unfolds. But, um, you know, from before I got injured and it’s always kind of the messaging and kind of what, you know, felt like we were lacking was just that consistency. And I mean, it’s hard. It’s never going to be perfect. You’re never going to play a full 60 minutes where, you know, you got the puck in their end and uh, you’re possessing it the whole time. There’s going to be momentum swings, but it’s just trying to get it back on your side as quickly as possible. So, I think that’s something that we can do better at. How does your shot feel? Did you feel any difficulty getting your shot off or No, I think uh early on it was it was uh you know it was a little bit tough but I think like I said over the last four or five days last week um everything I think the strength and everything just has come back and every day has been a positive day a better day than the day before. So uh it’s been good. Well maybe just the obvious. How are you feeling about getting back tonight physically? How you feeling and then mentally joining the group again? Uh mentally really excited. um you never want to watch uh the team from uh from up top. So you you always want to help the team. So really excited to uh to join the team and obviously the body feeling feeling well as well. Um all the all the staff there did an amazing job with me. So um yeah, just excited overall. You touched up and how difficult was it to watch from a standpoint of knowing that you couldn’t get in there when the group, you know, has been so battered of late physically as some of the guys out the lineup. So how has it been? Have you managed? Yeah, it was a it was a tough timing to get uh that many injuries for sure. Um you’re always going to go through stretches where it’s a little uh little tougher. It’s a long season and obviously after we got hit with the injuries, but uh just got to battle through it next minute in the mentality. Um I think obviously um not didn’t get as many points as we wanted, but the guys played I mean pretty well. So um it’s good to get some body buddies back now. You played a really strong game in Chicago. What happened? And how did you get hurt? Uh just I don’t really don’t want to get too too much into details. Um what they call it upper body injury. Um well yeah I think I was I was trying to find a find my game. Try to help the team as much as I can. Uh it’s unfortunate but it’s it happens. It’s a long season. So it was in that game though not a nagging thing that you had been dealing with previously. No it was it was there for sure. Yeah. What’s this road trip mean to this group right now? as you look for that resilience and just kind of coming together and most importantly getting bodies back in the win. Yeah. Uh go on the road. Uh we got a long road trip coming here. Um we just want to take it one one game at a time. Uh we got some bodies back. So um yeah, we’re we’re excited for for that first one tonight. Um going through obviously some some adversity right now, but we got to get out of there. So uh yeah, one game at a time, one shift at a time. That’s what uh that’s what we’re coming with tonight. Despite the injury, I mentioned it, you felt like you had a really strong game, uh, season high ice time in Chicago. Like, what did you like about how you were playing before you got hurt? Um, just feeling good overall. Um, can play in different situation obviously uh can help a little bit on the on the part playing that front there. Can um take some some important draws. Um, can play a shot down line. Obviously, at this point of season, rather wanted to have probably a little more points than that. Um, you always want to help your team offensively as well, but I think I can help in different situation like I said like face off, play a um, good defensive game. So, just going to try to keep bringing that. What do you think it’s going to do to the group to get Austin and Matthew? Yeah. No, for sure it’s a boost, right? It’s a boost for our team, for morale. Um, getting our captain back for sure. And the other two guys are good players, important players. So, um, yeah, it’s great. They’re all back tonight. Who’s out? Well, I got to make some decisions. I’ll do that later. Do you try and like spread out the wealth with these guys coming back? You have to manage your minutes at all like it’s uh Yeah. No, it’s a little bit. I got to obviously manage what what I’m seeing out there and how they’re feeling. And uh like for me, you know, we need everybody tonight. All four lines going, all six D going. So, um, like I said, the minutes will be spread out, you know, for the most part. I got to, you know, we need everybody. This game feel big just opening of a road trip. Yeah, it’s a big game for sure. Um, you know, great to get the guys back, but that doesn’t change, you know, everything, right? We need we need to play better and um, we need everybody to play better. And it’s a big game for sure. start of a road trip could set us off to the right get get us on the right foot here. Uh but let’s focus on the process of how we got to get that done. Is that maybe where you ask more of these guys the process or is there something specific where you say I need more in this department or this area? What is that? Well, there’s always areas where we look at games and what we’re doing and you know things that need to be tightened up. Um, you know, like I said, the defensive side of things has got to be better. And that’s what we’re focusing on here. You know, we got to check. Um, and our checking will give us chances. That’s how we view it. You know, you do a good job checking and and let’s let’s play responsible and do our jobs and we’ll get our opportunities to uh get chance to score. Where are you at with Dakota’s game right now? Just just okay. You know, we chatted today. Um, you know, he’s got more to give and he knows that and he wants to give more. So, it’s just about getting him going in the right direction here. Felt like Wah had maybe one of his better games the night he got hurt. Like what what do you from him now? Well, a lot of the same getting back, but you know, he’s been out for a bit here, but uh just what he was doing like I mean I thought he exited our zone really well. He’s good in the middle of the ice taking pucks and getting through the neutral zone and then he did a real good job of uh hanging on the pucks in the offensive zone just being heavy and um you know again defensive responsibilities and penalty kills. So he was playing well for us. What stood out about how Austin kind of handled the absence? It can’t be easy. It’s always tough to miss time but especially when the team go through it as the captain. What has stood out about I guess how he’s handled everything? No, I think he’s handled it well. Well, I mean, obviously he wanted to be out there helping the team and um he’s a captain of the team and he was around a lot, you know, which I like. Um he wasn’t not seen. He was there um helping the team as much as he could without playing. Uh so, but it’s like I said, it’s great to have him back. Now, you had said that the injury had been bugging him for like more than a month. How much Well, it’s got shut down. Do you notice it bugging them? Well, it’s been obvious. I think it’s right at camp. it was, you know, something going on and but didn’t keep him out of the lineup, you know. Um, but nagging things like that can affect you over time because it’s constant. It’s every day. It’s not getting better. It’s not going away. So hopefully he’s cleared up there and he’s he’s he’s 100%

Players and Coach address the media ahead of tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

00:00 Matthew Knies
02:42 Auston Matthews
07:27 Nicolas Roy
10:07 Craig Berube

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