‘We don’t like them. They don’t like us’
Sabres’ Eichel embracing Maple Leafs rivalry
MIKE ZEISBERGER
When Jack Eichel looks at Auston Matthews, he sees something most of us don’t.
To the piercing eyes of the rest of the hockey world, the Toronto Maple Leafs star is a modest, softspoken kid who would much rather talk about his team than himself.
As the face of the Buffalo Sabres franchise, Eichel sees through that image. To him, Matthews is a fierce, take-no-prisoners competitor who oozes self-worth — and is willing to crush anyone and anything in his way in order to prove it.
“I think Auston has a bit of a confidence and a swagger to him,” Eichel told Postmedia in a candid one-on-one interview. “He’s got a bit of that ‘F--- you!’ mentality in him. And that’s a good thing. He doesn’t think he has to owe anyone anything.”
Truth be told, it’s the same qualities Eichel possesses. Only Eichel is much more up front about it. He’s much more willing to express himself by wearing his emotions on his sleeves.
Or, in the case of a game back on March 25, a clenched fist.
It’s a scene that remains etched in the minds of Leafs and Sabres fans alike. With the Leafs gunning for a playoff spot and thousands of Toronto fans shoehorned into KeyBank Center, Eichel had just scored his second goal of the game in what would be a 5-2 Sabres victory. As part of his gleeful celebration, he slammed the glass with his glove, knowing there was a Leaf supporter draped in a Toronto jersey just on the other side. Message received. All these months later, Eichel makes no apologies for the act. In fact, he’s proud of it.
When you are as comfortable in your own skin as Eichel appears to be entering his third NHL season, you don’t worry about people misconstruing what you are trying to say. And in Eichel’s case, he wants people to know: He’s not fond of the Leafs. And vice versa.
“It’s part of the rivalry,” Eichel said. “We don’t like them. They don’t like us.”
Sitting in a room at NHL headquarters in midtown Manhattan during the NHL’s recent players media tour, Eichel is wearing a wry grin when he utters those words.
It’s the look of a young man who is confident in what he says because it’s the way he really feels. There is no PR spin-doctoring here, just an emerging star who is calling it like he sees it.
“Obviously I’m an intense guy and competitive and don’t like to lose,” Eichel said, explaining his pounding-on-the-glass reaction. “Obviously that specific night there were a lot of Leafs fans in the building and I just thought we needed to defend our own building. It was our duty to do that.”
Referring to Toronto and Buffalo being at hockey loggerheads, Eichel noted that “we’re (geographically) close to each other. We play each other a lot. There are some confrontations. And I like to embrace that and I think all our guys do as well.”
Chances are, emotions won’t be as heated as normal when the Leafs and Sabres engage in back-toback games this weekend, Friday at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum and Saturday in Buffalo. This is, after all, the pre-season, a time when household names are few and far between in the respective lineups. Then again, you never know.
In terms of Eichel, the constant comparisons to Matthews and Connor McDavid don’t seem to bother him as much, even if they won’t go away. You know the ones. In his rookie season, he was constantly reminded by the outside world of Connor versus Jack, the top two picks in the 2015 entry draft. One year later the hype machine turned its attention to Connor versus Auston, both because of the proximity of Buffalo and Toronto, along with the fact that Matthews was drafted by the hated Leafs in Eichel’s home rink.
“I think that’s what everyone likes to do — compare things, right? That’s what media does, that’s what fans do. And you know what? It’s been something I’ve dealt with for a long time now and it’s not something I really worry about.”
But is it fair to always have your achievements constantly be scrutinized alongside those of McDavid and Matthews?
“I guess you could say it’s just a part of it,” he replied. “It’s not something I really think about. And I’m not sure the other guys who are in a similar situation think about much.
“A few years ago, Crosby and Ovechkin were linked together and that’s been going on for a long time now. It’s just something people like to see. They like to see two things compared to each other. It’s not anything I think about much.
“I’m just happy to be the best Jack Eichel I can be.”
As for Matthews, it’s obvious how much respect Eichel has for his friend. After all, winning a Calder Trophy in the hockey fishbowl that is Toronto can be a trying experience.
“It’s not easy to do what he did,” Eichel said. “Just being around him, knowing him a bit, he’s got that confidence in him. And you need that.”
Jack Eichel certainly has it.