Getty Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates a goal
Thursday was a touching night in Toronto for Maple Leafs and hockey fans worldwide as the franchise honored the late Rodion Amirov on April 11, the same day Auston Matthews chose to inch closer to scoring 70 goals in a single season.
The Maple Leafs ran a video tribute to the late Rodion Amirov, who died in August 2023, during a timeout in the first period with Amirov’s parents and sisters in attendance and visiting Toronto for the first time.
Emotional moment.
Maple Leafs hosting family of Rodion Amirov…
All of Amirov’s family members were either wearing or holding the No. 20 jersey of the late prospect.
Amirov was diagnosed with a brain tumor in February 2022. He was still playing hockey in Russia when his agent, Daniel Milstein, shared the devastating news.
Leafs Honor the Late Rodion Amirov With Moving Video Tribute
Amirov, who died on August 14 aged only 21, was expected to be one of the best players of the Leafs in future seasons and his potential seemed to be untapped at the time of his selection in the 2020 draft. Amirov entered the event ranked as the fifth-best European skater by NHL.com experts.
The Maple Leafs introduced 2020 15th overall pick Rodion Amirov at their home opener.
Amirov has been with the team since finishing his fourth round of chemotherapy 👏
The Leafs drafted Amirov with the No. 15 overall pick and the organization flew him to Toronto so he could attend his first NHL game at the start of the 2022-23 season.
Last fall, following the news of his death, Amirov’s father thanked the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team’s fans for the support shown to the player and the family throughout Amirov’s days as a member of the organization. He did so in an interview with Pavel Lysenkov of MatchTV on September 11, 2023.
Auston Matthews Keeps Piling Up Goals as Leafs Lose to Devils
An already impossibly good season is about to become legendary for Matthews, who scored two more goals (his 67th and 68th of the season) on April 11 and is now just a couple of scores from reaching 70 goals in a single campaign.
Matthews scored his first goal of the 6-5 loss against the New Jersey Devils just six minutes into the first period and he added a second goal midway through the second frame.
SIXTY-SEVEN 😱
Leafs’ winger Max Domi found Matthews skating forward through the middle of the rink and passed him the puck from the right-side boards. Matthews had no problem hitting the net with a wrist shot that put the puck past a goalie, Devils’ Jake Allen this time, for the 67th time this season.
“It’s obviously nice to hear those things,” Matthews told reporters after the game on April 11, after passing Dave Keon for the third-most goals (367) in franchise history.
AUSTON MATTHEWS IS TWO GOALS AWAY FROM 70 🚨
Matthews’ second goal and 68th on the season tied the game at 3-3 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Positioned on the crease, Matthews redirected Domi’s pass into the net and celebrated with his teammates visibly happy and relieved to know he will have three more games to bag a couple of goals and make true history.
“Our season’s not done yet,” Matthews said. “Obviously, we’re trying to build toward the postseason, so that’s our main focus.
“These kinds of things are nice to reflect on for a while, but there’s a bigger goal in mind and so that’s where my head is at.”
Auston Matthews’ 70 Goal Record in Danger If He Gets Rested
It’s good to know Matthews is looking after his team’s results more than his personal accolades, but it’s undeniable that his season is one about to enter NHL lore, which makes it understandable for Mathews to hunt goals in the next three games–assuming he plays them all and doesn’t get some rest ahead of the playoffs.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe put any and every question about Matthews sitting out the final three games to bed during his postgame press conference on April 11.
“Auston is feeling really good right now,” Keefe said. “He has lots of energy. You can see it in his play.”
Matthews needs 2 goals in three games to become the first 70-goal scorer in the NHL since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both reached the mark all the way back in the 1992-93 season.