Maple Leafs’ Star Auston Matthews to Skip Preseason Game Owing to Minor Injury

Auston Matthews Benched for Precautionary Reasons

In a surprising turn of events, Auston Matthews, the accomplished captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will sit out the upcoming preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens due to a minor upper-body injury. The decision, which appears to be primarily precautionary, was announced by Craig Berube, the team’s head coach. Berube reassured fans and media that the injury was “not serious” and that the star player “should be fine.”

Berube stopped short of confirming whether Matthews would be back on the ice for the Leafs’ preseason game on Saturday, also against Montreal.

Coaching Prioritizes Health Over Lingering Injuries

“We don’t want lingering injuries and things like that going on,” Berube stated during a press conference. “So we’ve got to be intelligent about it. Training camp has been grueling, and if players need to take a breather due to any issues, we allow it.”

27-year-old Matthews took an early exit from Tuesday’s practice and was absent from the Wednesday session. He was, however, spotted on the ice for an optional skate on Thursday morning, according to TSN.

Matthews’ Stellar Career Record

Matthews, a three-time leader in NHL goal scoring in the past four seasons, set a new personal record in 2023-24 with 69 goals and added 38 assists in 81 games. Since being selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft by Toronto, Matthews has notched an impressive 649 points (368 goals, 281 assists) in a total of 562 games.

Upcoming Preseason Games for the Maple Leafs

Including Thursday’s game against the visiting Canadiens, the Maple Leafs have four preseason matches remaining before they commence the regular season in Montreal on Oct. 9.