The Toronto Maple Leafs face the Vegas Golden Knights this Thursday, October 8, at T-Mobile Arena, and ahead of the game, some players from the Canadian franchise, including captain Auston Matthews, spoke to the media.
Among the things Matthews discussed, he talked about his new teammate, Gavin McKenna, and sent fans a hopeful message about possible future scenarios with this new elite talent.
Matthews said it’s important to spend time together off the ice so their relationship can grow and show on the ice.
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Sends Hopeful Message on Gavin McKenna Before Vegas Game
He said, “Yeah, it’s been great. I mean, it’s been a lot of fun, I think. You know, when you bring in some new, young, obviously elite talent, it’s always exciting. And, you know, it’s been a lot of fun getting to know him, spending some time with him.”
“And I just think the more time we spend together, the more comfortable we’ve gotten. And, you know, forming a pretty good relationship. So it’s been a blast.”
“And like I said the other night, he’s, you know, an incredible, incredible person with a great head on his shoulders. And, you know, it was a really special night for him the other night, and a big win for us to, you know, obviously come here on the road and play some good competition, some good teams, and it’s going to be a really good test and challenge for us.”
When asked about what he wants to show McKenna outside of the games, he said, “What do I want to show him? I don’t know. I mean, we’re just hanging out. Honestly, it’s all organic.”
“We’re just, you know, hanging out, shooting. It’s, I mean, there’s nothing. Like, there’s no agenda. If he’s got questions, like, I feel like I ask him a lot of questions because, you know, I’m interested. And I think you just kind of get talking, and you just kind of go from there. But there’s not really, like, any agenda. I think everything just kind of flows organically. And it’s been great so far.”
Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Sends Strong Message on Gavin McKenna Ahead of Vegas