THEY’RE YOUNG AND UNIFIED IN LEAFLAND
Matthews already showing he’s a key leader for team heading in right direction
From their panoramic perch at Fenway Park’s famed Green “Monstah” seats Tuesday, Auston Matthews and a handful of his Maple Leafs teammates must have felt as if they were on top of the world.
It’s a vibe the entire Toronto organization probably shares these days.
Seeing Matthews, William Nylander and Freddie Andersen sitting on the edge of the famed 37-foot-high wall at the Blue JaysRed Sox extra-inning marathon Tuesday was yet another snapshot of the type of recently welcomed team unity that has been so sorely lacking from the Leafs dressing room in recent years.
There was a time during the 1970s that the Red Sox franchise was described as “25 guys, 25 cabs” because of its dysfunction and a lack of team chemistry. Three World Series titles later, those claims have evaporated into the damp New England night.
Playing for a brand once considered just as chaotic, the young Leafs are hoping to follow a similar path to respectability as the Red Sox forged, one focused on team goals rather than individual ones. Whether that means March fishing trips in Florida or July Blue Jays games in Beantown, these guys appear to enjoy each other’s company.
And even though he’s still just a teenager, it is Matthews, the developing face of the franchise, who is proving to be among the leadership group providing the glue bonding this young team.
Just ask Dominic Moore, who learned that lesson firsthand last week.
A veteran of 10 teams in his 14 NHL seasons, Moore, 36, received a call out of the blue last week congratulating him on this, his second stint with the Leafs.
The voice at the other end: Auston Matthews.
“It says a lot about him that he would take time to do that,” Moore said. “He’s certainly more mature than I was at that age. For a young guy like that to reach out to me and extend a hand from both he and the team, well I really appreciate that.
“It’s not lost on him that, even at his young age, he’s a leader of the group. I think that’s a reflection of the kind of character the team has, which I feel starts from the top.
“I told him I can’t wait to get going.”
The logo on the front of his Leafs jersey isn’t the only thing that has been modified from Moore’s first run with his hometown team. There is a new vibe around the franchise, a far more upbeat one than he experienced in the 200809 season when Toronto traded him away to the Buffalo Sabres while he was in the midst of a career offensive year.
Once known as a place that many free agents shunned, Moore acknowledges the hockey fishbowl that is Toronto has gained traction among NHLers as a desirable place to play thanks in part to the youthful attitude and elite skill level the likes of Matthews have brought to the cause.
“I’m not sure if the whole ‘limelight’ thing was kind of what was holding guys back — if that was the case — but I think for sure there’s an attraction to the team now,” he said. “I think you can see that.”
To back up his point, Moore presented Exhibit A: the addition of Patrick Marleau.
“With him joining the group, that’s a good sign of that,” Moore said. “I was so stoked when I first found out he was coming here. I played briefly with him in San Jose (2012) and discovered what a humble and hard-working guy he is. With all he’s done in the game, his humility is always prominent. We really connected. He’s an incredible asset for us to have here.
“There’s definitely a palpable excitement that goes with the team right now. I think everyone around the team, whether you’re a part of the team or a fan rooting of the team, can feel that.
“And for me, joining the team right now is a special opportunity.”
Moore signed a one-year, US$1million contract to be a Toronto Maple Leaf again. Among the allures of returning: a young team with such a seemingly-endless ceiling.
One that stands to reach far greater heights than even the Green Monster does.
For a young guy like that to reach out to me and extend a hand from both he and the team, well I really appreciate that.