The Not So Accurate Truth Behind Auston Matthews Mustache

In Toronto Maple Leafs history, there are many stories that have been told.

Some haven’t. Perhaps, it’s because those sources can’t be trusted. Here is one of those stories, first told by Kevin, a dishwasher at a failing diner in the suburbs of Toronto. Kevin heard it from his cousin, who heard it from her psychic who specializes in clairsentience.

The story Kevin heard is the not-so-accurate tale of why Auston Matthews decided to try and grow one of the best mustaches in Maple Leafs history.

Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Auston Matthews came to camp with a duster, looking more like Lanny McDonald than Tomas Kaberle. Kevin says that despite what Matthews has said about it, the idea came when he and his teammates were out on the golf course over the summer talking about their envy of Joe Thornton’s luxurious facial hair. Matthews made an offhand comment about wanting to add a beard to his style.

Patrick Marleau, who was a part of that foursome, immediately put down his putter and called Jumbo on speaker. Marleau relayed the conversation and asked his longtime friend if he had any advice for Matthews. Thornton told Matthews to find his own style and suggested mutton chops would be a unique look.

Matthews has always been respectful of the veterans in the sport who have paved the way for today’s athletes. Even though he didn’t grow mutton chops, Matthews did decide to find his own look and sprout a misplaced eyebrow.

It wasn’t just about style. Matthews also believed that the stache would give him an edge on the ice. After all, who wouldn’t be intimidated by a guy with a face caterpillar? He figured that it would make him look more menacing and give him an extra boost of confidence.

That summer, Matthews set to work growing his mustache. It was quite the journey. He didn’t go to bed even one night without looking at his Eddie Shack poster for inspiration. To grow that perfect face lace, he fought through the itchy stage, the patchy stage, and the “why did I ever think this was a good idea” stage. But he persevered, and soon enough, he had a bristle brush to be proud of.

Prior to the 2019 training camp, Auston Matthews took to the ice in a pickup game in Scottsdale, Arizona with his new upper lipholstery. As soon as he hopped the boards, he realized that he had made a huge mistake. The lip foliage was getting in his eyes, making it hard for him to see the puck. He couldn’t stop wiping it away, and everyone at the rink that day (including his friend and mega Leafs fan Justin Bieber) was laughing at him.

Self-conscious for the first time, Matthews trimmed the lip sweater down. It was shaved to the length fans know today.

Of course, the accuracy of this story is questionable at best. Afterall, Kevin’s cousin’s psychic claims that she heard all about this from an overly talkative duck. As we all know, you should never trust a duck, especially if it’s Troy Terry.