Making his return to the lineup after a multi-week absence, Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews voiced an honest message. Much has been said about the hit he took from Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, but the forward in Hogtown has now addressed the controversial incident in the 2025-26 NHL campaign.
Whenever the Maple Leafs and Bruins meet on the ice, tempers flare. That was the case when Matthews and the Buds lost 5-3 to the Spoked B at the TD Garden. However, the Bruins might have crossed a line when Zadorov landed a big hit on Matthews, sending the visiting captain head-first against the boards.
Due to the aggressive hit, Matthews was sidelined for two weeks, effectively missing five games for the Maple Leafs in the current NHL season. Now that he’s back in the lineup, it didn’t take long for the captain to be asked about Zadorov’s hit. On that note, Matthews delivered a very sincere statement.
“I’m three feet away from the boards and he hits me in the numbers. I know his game, he likes to play hard, and you respect that. Maybe I could’ve put myself in a better position knowing he’s out there,” Matthews admitted per TSN’s Mark Masters on X (formerly Twitter).
Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens
Matthews speaks on his physical health
“It’s been a tough couple weeks, but I think over the last four, five days or so, skating, practicing, started to feel really good day after day. Stacked some positive momentum and feel like I’m ready to go,” Matthews stated.
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No player in the NHL ever wants to miss time. For Matthews, being sidelined cuts even deeper. As the face of a franchise burdened with sky-high expectations, he carries the weight of a city starving for its first Stanley Cup in over half a century. Toronto can’t afford to wait much longer—and all eyes remain fixed on Matthews to lead the way.
Matthews misses games for 9th straight season
Matthews appeared in all 82 games during his rookie year in the 2016-17 NHL campaign. However, he hasn’t recorded a full-season since. Instead, the Leafs’ captain has missed games year after year. Since the 2017-18 season, Matthews has now missed a total of 88 games for the Maple Leafs.