October 2, 2025

‘AUSTON MATTHEWS TOUCHED THIS PEN!’ LEAFS FANS, PLAYERS ENJOY ‘MUSKOKA FOREVER’ TEAM BONDING RETREAT

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.comBRACEBRIDGE — Yesterday’s meet and greet was as much for the Maples Leafs as their fans.

“Auston Matthews … meet Nicolas Roy.

“Matias Maccelli … this is John Tavares.

“Michael Pezza … meet Max Domi.”

And so it went during their now annual two-day Muskoka bonding experience.

And club tournament at the Windermere Gold & Country Club.

**Captain Auston Matthews was all smiles as he left the rink signing everything he could. He said “it’s great to see the kids in the stands” PHOTOS Mark Clairmont MuskokaTODAY.com**

An “important opportunity,” said Matthew Knies, Toronto’s 22-year-old 2021 draft pick and now good friend of American Matthews. “And getting to know each other off the ice.

“It helps a lot … it’s a huge building block toward creating a championship culture that everyone wants to be part of.”

“Getting comfortable on and off the ice,” said Matthews.

Asked after the school practice what they learned about their team-mates, Knies paused, then said “I figured out that Stolie has the best chipping ability I’ve ever seen — but can’t drive a ball to save his life.”

**Top prospect Easton Cowan, No. 53, impressed many including Coach Berube, who heaped some praise him by saying “… He’s stronger and we’re confident of him coming in.”**

“But, yeah, it’s been good. It helps. We’re building a lot of chemistry now and kind of learning where each other are. Coach is doing great job. Auston is obviously fully healthy and playing hard. We’re really coming along and building in a good sense.”

Coach Craig Berube said “It’s always a lot of fun to get together and have those dinners and competitive golf and dinner and prizes after. We had some guys get up there and do some singing. One of the trainers was actually was very good singer. I was pretty impressed by the talent up there. I just kind of think it’s a really rapport kind of thing.

“To get guys together like this, not just around hockey and side stuff. They can loosen up and have some fun.”

He said it helps the “comfort level” for everyone — especially younger players.

“Yeah, for sure, those it’s relevant. We’ve got some new guys this year. So it’s important to get out and get to know each other. And I think that happened this weekend.”

**Knies, Matthews and Tavares were the big stars for fans along with William Nylander.**

Was the coach — an ex-NHL veteran and himself a one-time Leaf — tempted to get up there?

“No, I’m a bad singer. I like music a lot — but I can’t carry a note,” he said loosening up himself.

He joked: “Guys were yelling at me out there. ‘Why are you yellin’? We can’t hear you anyhow with all the noise.’ And I said, well, I gotta tell you what you’re doing or I’m gonna move on. It’s tough out there to go on the ice.”

**Defenceman Chris Tanev will be counted on push the puck forward over the blueline.**

So with a week to opening night how does the team flip the switch to go to the next level this season?

“As I’ve talked before, I think the way we’ve been practising. Like even today, I was very happy with practice, the effort and their commitment to work out there and not just go through the motions. There’s a difference and you can see it. To me that is getting prepared for the regular season.

“We’ve got two exhibition games left and we’d like to see some progress there. But as I’ve talked before, those games are what they are to a certain extent. We’ll see how they go.”

**Matthews remains the man to watch and didn’t disappoint more than 500 on hand to see him “fully recovered,” according to Knies.**

As for the line-up tonight at home to the Red Wings, is that the group the Montreal Canadiens will face off against in next Wednesday’s season opener at the Scotiabank Arena?

“There’s a good possibility it will be a good line-up. I’ll just kind of wait and see if maybe there is somebody who can’t go for a certain reason. But I like to get our line-up in there for sure.”

On the team’s 2023 hot prospect, Easton Cowan, Berube said “I think he’s capable and he’s coming this year. But not with the same expectations as last year. And he’s come in as a worker and he’s worked. He’s done all the other things we’ve asked of him. And I think he’s had a great summer. He looked different to me body wise, weight wise. He’s stronger and we’re confident of him coming in.”

Berube said Cowan sang the Lady Gaga song “Star is Born.”

**More than 500 excited fans turned out for the annual public skate enjoying all 45 minutes of play.**

For fans Buds bedlam

The coach said “it great that the rink’s packed with kids having fun and seeing their players and the Leafs. It’s really good.”

And Matthews added “it’s great to see the kids in the stands” at the popular open practice for fans.

He was busy smiling and signing anything in sight as he exited the rink. Unlike a few years ago in Gravenhurst when the hooded star tried unsuccessfully to slip into the rink putting pen to only a handful of autograph-seekers papers and jerseys.

“Auston Matthews touched this pen!” bubbled a young fan holding a Tavares jersey signed by the former captain, who answered boarding the bus back to Toronto: “Yes!” when asked about winning the Cup next spring.

Though he said the same thing last year at a summer hockey school here above the same rink during a signing session.

**This lucky fan got Tavares’ jersey signed and got to keep the pen Matthews ‘touched.’**

Other fans were equally thrilled, including St. Dominic’s Catholic High School student Andrew Stenabaugh who got eight autographs on his hat.

And a group of kids gathered looking at a phone after could be heard to say: “That one’s going to be my screen saver.”

**Now here’s “my screen saver.” boasted a fan with a phone showing classmates.**

And all the South Muskoka Minor Hockey Bears players on hand loved it, especially how fast the Leafs skated and played.

Joe and Jenna Fiorini family made a special trip down from Emsdale with their hockey-playing son Henry and his friend Lincoln Boyce, both U9 players with the Huntsville Otters minor organization.

“It was good,” said Henry.

“Amazing,” added his dad.

“So good,” said mom. “It was such a great opportunity for the kids.”

This was the first time at the public skate for the Fiorinis, who catch a Leafs game every year in Toronto. Last year they saw Philadelphia. But haven’t got this season’s tickets, “not yet,” said Joe.

“But we’re going to get them,” chirped Henry.

And what about the Leafs ending a Stanley Cup drought that began long before any of them were born?

“Fingers crossed,” said Jenna.

“Just making it to the playoffs” would be enough for Joe.