- The Toronto Maple Leafs and Team USA are catching a break with news that forward Auston Matthews won’t be out long after leaving Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury.
- Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said on Thursday he hopes the team captain will be out ‘a week, maybe.’
- Matthews was hit from behind into the boards by Nikita Zadorov and later went down the ice to check the Bruins defenseman.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Team USA are catching a break with news that forward Auston Matthews won’t be out long after leaving Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury.
Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday, Nov. 13 he hopes the team captain will be out ‘a week, maybe.’
Matthews, who was one of the first six players named to the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, went hard into the boards after he was checked from behind by Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov during the second period of the Nov. 11 game. The center got up, skated down the ice, checked the defenseman and lost his balance. Matthews also was hit by a cleared puck right before he checked Zadorov.
The Maple Leafs later announced that Matthews would not return to the game.
Auston Matthews injury update
Berube said it’s possible Matthews could return earlier than a week.
‘It’s just one of these things he could come in a couple days from now and feeling a lot better and hopefully he’s good to go, but we’ll see,’ he told reporters. ‘But it could be as long as a week.’
Berube also said goalie Anthony Stolarz (upper body) is day-to-day. The team recalled goalie Artur Akhtyamov.
On the original Zadorov hit on Matthews, Berube said Tuesday, ‘I think it’s a penalty, personally, but I’m not the referee. I don’t like it. I don’t like the hit. It’s a vulnerable position.’
Zadorov, known for his physical play, told reporters about his perspective on the hit.
‘It was just a normal play,’ he said Tuesday. ‘I didn’t really hit him. I hit my right shoulder, 99% of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder.
‘I’m not sure what hit he got hurt (on). Is it like when he went after me again and I counter-hit him? Or maybe when I cleared the puck, I hit him with the puck. … There was really no intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team, that’s my job.’
U.S. Olympic team injuries
Matthews is the fourth of the first six players named to the U.S. Olympic team to have been injured since the announcement.
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had offseason hernia surgery. Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk had thumb surgery in October. Both remain out but are expected back before the Olympics in February. Matthew could begin the on-ice portion of his recovery in two weeks, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Thursday.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes missed four games with a lower body injury but returned in early November. He left Tuesday’s game after an injury scare but returned. He’s day-to-day, coach Adam Foote said.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel and Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy also were named to the U.S. team.
Final rosters are due on Dec. 31.