Leafs’ Matthews: ‘I made a mistake’
TORONTO Auston Matthews knows he has plenty of progress to make — on the ice, but more specifically, off the ice.
The week hasn’t been a good one for the Maple Leafs star with an off-season charge of disorderly conduct in his hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz., coming to light and then it becoming evident quickly the Leafs had no idea Matthews had run into some trouble.
“I still have to come to work and do my job and do it well,” Matthews said. “I have to come to the rink, work hard and try to push that stuff to the side and focus on my play on the ice.
“It hasn’t been easy, but it’s something I think I am learning from and growing from, so just try to take it day by day.”
Asked about his relationship with GM Kyle Dubas, Matthews said: “I think we’re in good shape.
“I made a mistake, I’m taking ownership of it, but everybody makes mistakes and I think (with) the conversations we have had in trying to work through it, I would say our relationship is just fine.”
Matthews was charged in July after the alleged incident took place in the early morning hours of May 26.
A security guard, Fayola Dozithee, at Matthews’ condo building alleged that Matthews and a couple of other males tried to get into her car as she sat in it and when she got out to confront them, Matthews at one point pulled down his pants and grabbed his buttocks.
A body cam video of the police interview of Dozithee, running more than 30 minutes, was released this week.
Matthews, whose next court date in Scottsdale is scheduled for Oct. 22, said on Friday he has not watched the video.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock sounded like a parent when asked about Matthews on Friday.
“The bottom line is there is lots of things that happen to you in your life that aren’t particularly good,” Babcock said. “Happens to all of us. It’s what you do about it after, it’s how you respond. I think that’s the key to all this stuff.
“The problem for anybody in the spotlight: your life happens in the spotlight. You’d like it not to be at some times, but other times you like it to be, so you can’t have both. That’s the way it is.”