Until he reported to practice on Wednesday to join his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates for a quick workout at Gila River Arena, Auston Matthews got to spend the previous few days in Arizona just being a kid again.
Talk about a well-needed break from reality.
This is about as far away from Toronto as a 20-year-old living legend can get. There are no giant billboards here baring his likeness, no mega banners hanging from skyscrapers featuring his face. For a young hockey star as big as the CN Tower, Matthews had to love being obscure again back in his home state.