May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) looks on after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving met with reporters Thursday morning for his end-of-season media availability, where one of the key topics of discussion was centered on star forward Auston Matthews – and the injury that plagued the star forward all season long.
In his first season as the team’s captain, Matthews wasn’t just attempting to lead the Leafs on the ice, he was doing so while managing an undisclosed injury that dated back to training camp. Treliving confirmed that Matthews had sustained the injury before the season even began, yet he played through its lingering effects for the entire 2024-25 campaign.
Why wasn’t he given the proper time off?
“We have guys playing through things, as everybody does. In Auston's case, he injured himself in camp,” Treliving explained. “Now, again, we're never going to put a player in a position where it's going to make it worse. He worked through it. Now, that's not a case of us saying, ‘Auston, get out there and make it worse.’ He got time,” said Treliving.
Well, despite not being in full health, the 27-year-old still represented the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February, a two-week break in the NHL that could have served as rest time for the back half of the NHL season and the playoff push.
“He was able to play through it. When he came back and started playing from time off, it was better. There would be times when it would flare up. He was able to play with it,” said Treliving. “Like I said, it wasn't something that we felt by playing he was going to put himself in a really bad position, shorter, long term. But with anything that you're dealing with, it takes away some stuff.”
“There's good stretches where I felt good, there were some stretches where I didn't feel very good,” Matthews said on locker clean-out day.
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The injury’s specifics will remain undisclosed, but the impact on Matthews was clear.
The forward missed 15 games, appearing in just 67 regular-season contests, posting a career-low 33 goals while registering just 3.9 shots per game and a 12.6 shooting percentage throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Toronto took steps to help him manage the condition, including a trip to Munich, Germany, for specialized treatment to help him overcome his ailment and remain competitive on the ice, where he added 45 assists and still managed a total of 78 points.
As mentioned, Treliving didn’t hesitate to emphasize the cautious approach the team took in managing the injury, claiming the superstar was able to play throughout it but echoing similar sentiments from the player that there were ups and downs.
And for that, the GM gives his first-year captain “all the credit in the world” for pushing through it.
“I give Auston all the credit in the world. I thought he had a really good year in terms of his first year of being a captain,” Treliving explained.
“We were never going to put him in a position where he's playing through something that became worse and worse and worse. We managed it through the year. But did it have an effect? Certain times, it certainly did. But I think he, even seeing how his game evolved, found a way to be a really, really important top player. And it's a credit to Auston. I thought he was terrific,” he added.
In the end, the former No. 1 overall pick was able to appear in all 13 postseason games and scored three goals, eight assists, and 11 points during Toronto’s playoff run.
The forward also noted that the injury does not require surgery and reiterated his confidence about his health entering the next season.
“It was tough. Definitely, physically, it was a very tough season. I don't need to get into, like, the specifics of stuff,” Matthews said following their exit in the second round to the Florida Panthers.
“I'm confident with some time off and just going through my own process and stuff like that, treatment, everything, I'm really confident I'll be back 100 percent," he said, “and there's nothing to worry about.”
Looking ahead, Matthews and the Leafs appear ready to leave last season’s challenges behind and turn the page.
