Auston Matthews Ready for Fresh Start After Tough Season
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is stepping into the new season with a renewed sense of confidence and health, something that wasn’t always on his side last year. After dealing with a nagging injury that lingered far longer than anyone would have liked, Matthews is now reporting that he feels fresh and ready to go as training camp for the 2025–26 campaign gets underway.
When speaking to reporters this week, Matthews didn’t hold back on how much better things are looking. He said that health-wise, he’s feeling really good, and he credited a productive summer where the right training and recovery put him in position to start camp with a clear mind and body. That’s a relief not just for him, but also for Leafs fans, who saw their star player limited last season by an undisclosed issue that began in training camp and never quite went away.
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The toll of that injury was obvious in his numbers. Matthews missed 15 games, and while he still played an important role, his production dropped sharply. After scoring an eye-popping 69 goals the year before, he finished with 33 goals in 2024–25, along with just three goals across 13 playoff appearances. For someone who has already won the Rocket Richard Trophy three times, that was far from what he—and everyone else—had come to expect.
Although Matthews kept the details of the injury private even after the Maple Leafs’ playoff elimination, he did admit it was something that affected him throughout the year. But now, that’s behind him, and his focus has shifted toward staying healthy not only for the NHL grind but also for the upcoming Olympics. Earlier this summer, Matthews was chosen as one of the first six players to represent Team USA in Milano Cortina this February, which adds even more significance to how he manages his body and schedule this season.
He acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting that the schedule will be condensed, similar to what players experienced during the COVID season. That means he’ll need to be smart about managing the pace, balancing the heavy NHL workload with the Olympic commitment. Still, he emphasized that right now, the primary focus is on training camp and getting off to the right start.
Toronto’s season begins on October 8 against their longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, and for both Matthews and the Leafs, there’s plenty on the line. After years of early playoff exits, expectations remain sky-high, and a healthy Matthews is absolutely central to their hopes of making a deeper run.
For fans, seeing Matthews step onto the ice feeling good again might be the biggest win before the season even begins.
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