After captaining Team USA to an Olympic gold, Auston Matthews is in jeopardy of missing the Toronto Maple Leafs first game back on Wednesday night in Tampa Bay.
Here's the exact quote from TSN's Darren Dreger, regarding Matthews' potential absence:
Some uncertainty around when Team USA players will rejoin their NHL clubs. The Leafs are in Tampa Bay on Wed. USA has been invited to the Whitehouse tomorrow, so Toronto is unclear as to when Auston Matthews will return to the team. A challenge for all NHL clubs with US players.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 23, 2026
After partying all night in Milan and probably still partying, President Donald Trump invited the Team USA hockey team to come to the Whitehouse on Tuesday for a celebration. As a result, Matthews may not be able to get ready in time for the Lightning on Wednesday.
Leaving politics out of this, if you're american and President invites you to the Whitehouse to celebrate the first men's hockey Olympic gold medal in 46 years, you have to attend, right? This is obviously a way different conversation as a canadian, but if you're the captain of that team, there isn't a world where he would miss that night.
However, at the same time, you are also getting paid millions of dollars by your NHL club to win games with them, so if you're going to attend Tuesday, shouldn't you do everything in your power to make it back for the game on Wednesday?
Matthews may miss first game back due to celebration
If Matthews finds a way back for thier game on Wednesday night, I wouldn't expect his best game of the season either way. After the hardest game of his life and three days of celebration, you'd expect him to be a shell of himself, so isn't it fine if he misses one game?
As it currently stands, even if Matthews returns to his Hart Trophy self for the remainder of the season, this Leafs team is probably not going to make the playoffs and if you have any hope of keeping him long-term, you're going to have to allow the player to do what he wants.
If GM Brad Treliving is smart, he's leaving this decision in Matthews' hands and is hoping it doesn't turn into a big story because it really shouldn't. When NHL players are allowed to play in the Olympics and the NHL season starts 72 hours after the gold medal game, it's tough to expect a 100 percent attendance record upon return, especially when it's in a foreign country.
Although it pains me to write anything good about Team USA and Matthews right now, we shouldn't criticize him if he has to miss one game due to a once in a lifetime opportunity and we should all be thankful that a player of this calibre is wearing the "C" in Toronto, for now.