Auston Matthews was asked about an old photo of him and his buddies standing in a pond next to a sunken golf cart, and the Maple Leafs star had the full story.
"That was my first time playing golf," Matthews said. "Me and a couple guys from my minor hockey team went and played golf."
Then came the important clarification. One of his friends got too close to the water, and he made sure to add, "I wasn't involved."
The ending was exactly what you'd expect. "The water just took the cart… It wasn't working after."
It's the kind of story every hockey kid has. Teammates, a day off, and one questionable decision near the water.
For a player carrying a $13,250,000 cap hit and the weight of a hockey-mad market, it's refreshing to see him laugh about being a kid again.
Matthews brings a lighter mood to Jim Hiller's Leafs after a win
The timing helps. Toronto just beat Nashville 5-4 in overtime, with Gavin McKenna scoring his first NHL goal.
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Matthews has been part of that push, with five points in four games and a game-winner already. He even hosted McKenna for a Sunday sleepover, complete with sandwiches and football.
Toronto needs more moments like this. A team under constant pressure plays looser when its biggest star can laugh at himself, even if he swears he wasn't driving.
The photo is like finding your old yearbook picture with the bad haircut. Embarrassing for a second, then the best story at dinner.
The Leafs are 2-2-0 and visit Vegas on Thursday.
Matthews has come a long way from that pond. Somewhere, though, a former minor hockey teammate probably still hears about that cart.
Do you believe Auston Matthews wasn't driving the golf cart?
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