Matthews vowing to ‘be better’
Disorderly conduct case settled, he’s out to show he’s learned his lesson
His legal troubles behind him, Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews offered an apology to the woman he offended and promised to do better in the future.
“The case has been dismissed and I just want to reiterate again just how truly sorry I am for my actions and my behaviour,” Matthews said. “I never meant to cause any distress to this woman and I can assure you that I’ve learned from my mistakes and my actions, and now it’s something for myself to strive every day to be better in every aspect of my life.”
Matthews had been charged with disorderly conduct after a
May incident with a security guard, Fayola Dozithee, at the Arizona condo where he lives in the off-season. Matthews was alleged to have approached the security guard, who had locked herself in her car while she was doing paperwork, and tried to get in. After words among Matthews, his friends and the woman, Matthews walked away and dropped his pants, though he kept his underwear on.
The woman went to police a couple of days later and the charge was laid. The case was dismissed Wednesday when the parties came to an undisclosed agreement. The court proceedings were revealed Sept. 24. Matthews apparently had not told the Leafs about his legal troubles.
“It’s something that I had to deal with on a personal level, but at the same time I have a job to do and you know, I’ve got to block that out while I’m doing it,” Matthews said Friday. “Obviously not a situation I’d like to be in but it’s been a big, big lesson learned for myself.”
Matthews has 13 goals and 13 assists to lead the Leafs and on Wednesday — the day the case was dismissed — he had his best game, according to head coach Mike Babcock.
“Any time something goes wrong in your life, you just want to own it and get on with it as quick as you can, and sometimes when you don’t like the way you handled something or the way it went, that’s the hardest part,” Babcock said. “I think he’s done a real good job of owning the situation and moving on.
“Anybody who’s an athlete, anybody who’s in the public eye, has a responsibility to the public. We all know that. That doesn’t make it easy, and we all make mistakes, but like I said you own it, you move on.”
Leafs president Brendan Shanahan welcomed the news that the case against Matthews was dismissed and that the player showed remorse.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs are committed to developing and promoting the qualities of good character, respect and equality in our organization, including our players, and we recognize and embrace the role we serve in the community,” Shanahan said in a statement. “While Auston has been an exceptional ambassador for the Leafs in representing those values, his conduct in this incident last May failed to meet expectations.
“We appreciate that Auston has publicly reiterated today that he is truly sorry for his conduct and has recognized the impact his actions caused.”