Top prospect Auston Matthews made a big splash when he debuted in the CHL with ZSC Lions Zurich in September. Now he has 7 points in 4 games for Team USA at the World Junior Championship in Helsinki.
by Leo Runsas
HELSINKI – The IIHF World Junior Championship has started well for Team USA. In the first game they beat Canada 4–2, then followed that up with a tight loss against Sweden, despite out-shooting them by a wide margin. They then finished up with wins over Switzerland and Denmark to finish second in a very tight Group A. With 7 points in four games, Auston Matthews is quite satisfied with how his team played in the group stage.
“I think we’ve played well. The first game was a big one for us. We were a little bit disappointing against Sweden but those kind of games happen. Their goalkeeper was outstanding. But you can’t hide your head, you’ve got to focus on the next game and that’s what we did,” he said about the game against Switzerland. “We were ready to play and motivated.”
The Americans easily crushed the Swiss, scoring six times in the first period en route to a 10–1 victory. Matthews had 2 goals and 2 assists in the game, but didn't take any pleasure in Switzerland's misery afterward.
“I think it was unfortunate they were a bit tired today and we took advantage of that,” he said of the Swiss collapse the day after they took Canada to a shootout.
The Americans finished the group stage with a 4–1 win over Denmark in which Matthews scored a goal, lifting his total to 7 points.
How is it to play when the whole world is watching?
Next summer’s NHL Entry Draft is something that is in the heads of many players in the tournament. There are tons of scouts and other influential people in the sport watching and analysing the games and the players and this stage is a great opportunity to show them what you are made of. Matthews doesn’t seem to feel the pressure, though, but rather relishes the opportunity.
“The draft is something that I really don’t focus on. Of course it is an exciting time for all the players that are involved this year. I will take it day by day, I won’t worry about it and I’ll just enjoy the experience.”
He added that “playing in front of the scouts is fun. This is obviously a big tournament. It is broadcast worldwide and it is fun to play and be a part of.”
The young forward made an unusual career move when he moved to Swiss club ZSC Lions Zurich after two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Matthews has had a good season so far. In NLA he has 25 points in 22 games so far. He played in two Champions Hockey League games in the Round of 32 against Sparta Prague, recording one assist.
The decision to move to Switzerland has been satisfactory to Matthews.
“I think it has been a great experience for me so far and it is a great league. I have really learned a lot from head coach Marc Crawford so far. It is also a great group of guys.”
When Matthews’s idea to transfer to Europe became public, rumours started bouncing around and were taking him to just about every direction. In the end Finland, Sweden and Switzerland were the most popular topics though Matthews corrects the rumours a bit.
“I don’t think there were any contacts from Finland. There were contacts from Sweden and Switzerland and in the end I think my heart was set on Switzerland. It came from the things that I had heard from the organization. I think this has suited me pretty well.”
This year’s World Junior Championship is played in Helsinki, Finland. The American team has had some time to spend in the city and Helsinki has left a good impression.
“It has been nice. It's been a little bit cold but I think this is a nice city. We have been downtown doing a little walking and shopping and seeing what the city is all about.”
Click HERE to read the interview with Matthews following his CHL debut in September.