Team USA captain Auston Matthews gets unexpected welcome from Leafs fans upon return to Toronto

Team USA men’s hockey captain returned to his home ice in the NHL – ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto – and the Canadian faithful could’ve made it a lot worse on him during his homecoming. 

Matthews, who helped Team USA beat beat Canada in the gold-medal game, knew he would be returning north of the border at some point to continue his 2025-26 NHL season. But the recognition he got was surprisingly positive despite him being a part of the team that upset Canada in Milan. 

During a stoppage in play against the Ottawa Senators, led by Matthews’ U.S. teammate Brady Tkachuk, the Maple Leafs gave recognition to the three players on their team who represented their countries in the Milan Cortina Games. 

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After introducing Swedish stars William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the arena PA announcer introduced the Leafs’ "gold medalist" captain in Matthews, who received some jeers initially. 

Then, the whole arena rose to give Matthews a standing ovation as he was called out by the announcer. So, instead of ripping into Matthews for what happened overseas, the fans gave their veteran captain a round of applause before play resumed. 

The TSN broadcast also showed Tkachuk on his Senators bench, looking up at the video board and smiling as Matthews was called. 

Mathews was among the Team USA stars to visit President Donald Trump and the White House ahead of his State of the Union address, which triggered significant backlash and criticism. 

Players stood their ground, pointing to their American pride as to why they decided to take the Air Force jet to the White House following their historic win over Canada. 

And before returning to his Canadian home ice, Matthews and the Maple Leafs were in Tampa Bay facing the Lightning, where fans at Amalie Arena gave the visitor a loud reaction. A short ovation from Lightning fans also rained down on the ice for him. 

While Matthews has enjoyed winning his gold medal, it’s been a rough go for Toronto this season. They sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 27-24-9 record (63 points), where they’ve now lost three games in a row after the 5-2 defeat to the Senators. 

Matthews tallied an assist in the loss, while Tkachuk did the same for his winning squad. Nylander scored one of the Maple Leafs’ two goals. 

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