Mats Sundin recently shared his reaction after Auston Matthews surpassed him as the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ all-time leading goal scorer. Matthews scored his 420th goal to tie Sundin, then followed it with his 421st to become the new franchise leader.
The entire Leafs bench cleared to celebrate the historic milestone on the ice. Sundin congratulated Matthews and called the moment a well-deserved achievement. He wished Matthews continued success and says he hopes to see him hoist the Stanley Cup with the Leafs.
“Auston, congratulations beating my record. It feels good. You’re going to enjoy it more once your career is over,” Sundin said in a video posted on the Maple Leafs’ Instagram account. “It’s a great milestone and good luck chasing the big championship for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
The Maple Leafs posted another video showing Sundin reflecting on the record. He highlighted the significance of Matthews achieving the milestone with a historic franchise like Toronto.
“After you break the record, it is a fantastic achievement in a historic franchise like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the biggest franchise in the world, the capital of hockey in the world,” Sundin said. “To be the leading scorer is something very unique.”
Mats Sundin Praises Auston Matthews
Mats Sundin also praised Auston Matthews for living up to the high expectations he faced entering the NHL. Matthews has dealt with a lot of pressure, especially as the captain of an Original Six franchise.
The Hall of Famer is no stranger pressure himself. Sundin joined the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster trade that sent beloved former captain Wendel Clark to the Quebec Nordiques. He quickly established himself as an all-time great in Toronto and eventually set the franchise records for goals and points.
In another video posted to the Maple Leafs’ Instagram account, Sundin revealed that he has followed Matthews’ career since the World Juniors. He said it was clear early on that Matthews had the tools to be a impactful player in the NHL.
“There’s been many promising players that didn’t turn out to be as good as were expected to be. Auston [Matthews], in his case, I think he exceeded all the expectations,” Sundin said. “He’s become even a better player as he grew into the league.”
He also emphasized that Matthews’ most important trait is his personality off the ice.
“[Matthews] leads by example, he’s a better person off the ice. You can tell by the people that are around him, his teammates, the way that he handles media because being captain for Toronto Maple Leafs is a very unique situation,” Sundin said. “It’s a lot of added pressure. He is a great leader and maybe most importantly, a great person off the ice.”
Sundin Announces Special Collaboration to Commemorate Matthews’ Record
Sundin also announced a special collaboration with Budweiser to celebrate Matthews’ historic 421st goal.
The beverage brand will commemorate the record-setting goal by recognizing every player who helped along the way. Each player will receive a customized can featuring a number that represents which of Matthews’ 421 goals they assisted on.
“You couldn’t have got there without your teammates,” Sundin said in a video uploaded to Budweiser Canada’s Instagram account. “That’s why Budweiser and I dedicate this custom can to all the playmakers that helped you reach your goal. The kings of assist. Good luck the rest of the way.”
Mats Sundin Reacts to Auston Matthews Breaking His Maple Leafs Goals Record