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Some NHL Players Want To Go Home, Don’t Hold That Against Them

Picture this, the year is 2024, another season has come and gone. The Toronto Maple Leafs still have Auston Matthews with them until free-agency comes about. The Arizona Coyotes are still an NHL franchise and as we all know, Matthews is from Scottsdale, Arizona and he grew up cheering for the Coyotes.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16:  Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs stands for the national anthem before the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 16, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Before I go on, let’s back track to this past off-season. John Tavares, the captain of the New York Islanders, became an unrestricted free agent. Once he could, he met with a few different teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs being one of them.