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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews' injury brings 'tough' Craig Berube response

Auston Matthews continues to feel the effects of his injury.

Auston Matthews looking stern, first aid kit, hockey rink in background

The Toronto Maple Leafs managed well without captain Auston Matthews, who missed several games with an upper-body injury for which he eventually sought treatment in Germany.

He's returned to action and has scored five goals in the 10 games he's played in. But according to head coach Craig Berube, Matthews is still fighting through the injury which caused him to miss Friday's practice, via TSN.

“Well it's tough. I mean, he's fighting through it and he's doing, you know, he's doing a pretty good job out there on the ice,” Berube told reporters. “Like he's producing and playing hard and working and, you know, we just got to manage it. You know, it'll get better. We just got to manage it though. And that's why he's off the ice today.”

Matthews has scored a total of 10 goals with 12 assists in 23 games played; he's the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner after he scored 69 goals in 2023-24, the most of any NHL player since Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak scored 61 in 2022-23.

The Maple Leafs named Auston Matthews the 26th captain in team history

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) looks on during the third period against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Former Leafs captain John Tavares ceded the captaincy to Matthews over the offseason, who became the 26th (and first American-born) captain in team history.

Tavares indicated that he wanted Matthews to feel complete support from him and that it was his time to take over the official leadership role.

“I just wanted to let him know what I thought about him and that I thought the time was now for him to take charge and be the captain and be the leader of our club and how ready he was for it,” Tavares said, via NHL.com. “He's got my full support to continue what when I came here six years ago to do and wanting to bring the Stanley Cup back here to Toronto and finding a way to do that.”Matthews is in the first of a new multi-year contract with the Leafs, while Tavares is playing on an expiring deal.


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