Like it or not — and he doesn't seem to mind it too much — Auston Matthews is the standard bearer for hockey players from the state of Arizona, a player who has found stardom in the NHL and in one of the capitals of hockey throughout the world.
The 24-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs center and three-time All-Star from Scottsdale has become one of the faces of the league, and on Wednesday played in the same place he saw many games as a youngster following the Coyotes, Gila River Arena. It was Matthews' first game back in Arizona since Nov.