TORONTO (AP) — Auston Matthews and his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates soaked in the spotlight of NHL All-Star Weekend as the hometown fan favorites, and they gave the crowd the ending it wanted.
Matthews scored twice, including a game winner, and had an assist to beat reigning MVP Connor McDavid’s team 7-4 in the final of the All-Star 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday. Matthews, the U.S.-born face of Canada’s richest franchise who last summer re-signed to stay in Toronto through 2028, was named MVP.
Leafs forward Mitch Marner also had a goal, and he and Matthews were able to celebrate with teammates Morgan Rielly and William Nylander as the entire team splits the $1 million prize.