TORONTO — At about 6:28 p.m. ET, it was announced on the Scotiabank Arena center ice video screen that Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews had been named as forwards to the Toronto Maple Leafs Quarter-Century First Team, along with Hall of Famer Mats Sundin.
For the next three hours, they showed exactly why.
On a wild, frigid January night of Original Six hockey, the Maple Leafs' top line of Marner, Matthews and wing Matthew Knies combined for 13 points (five goals, eight assists) en route to a 6-4 victory against the longtime rival Boston Bruins.
Marner (one goal, four assists) and Knies (three goals, two assists) each had five-point performances in what proved to be a memorable outing for both. Matthews, meanwhile, returned from a six-game absence due to a lower-body injury and was a force throughout the game, ending up with three points (one goal, two assists) of his own.
When informed after the game that he and Matthews had made the Quarter-Century First Team along with Sundin, defensemen Morgan Rielly and Tomas Kaberle, and goalie Ed Belfour, Marner admitted he was caught off-guard by the honor. Having been a Maple Leafs fan since he was a kid, he said he was humbled at hearing the news.
“I didn't know that,” he said. “I mean, you know, as players, we try not to really enjoy accolades or anything like that. It’s a team game, and we all know that.”
But …
“Ya, it’s very cool to hear obviously. Growing up, I watched Mats Sundin a lot and idolized him quite a bit. So ya, again, it’s very cool.”
Matthews couldn’t agree more.
“It means a lot, obviously, with the history of this franchise,” he said. “We’re in our ninth season here, and obviously it’s special to be part of a storied franchise like this and to wear the Maple Leaf every day is not anything I don’t think anyone would take for granted.
“Just to be in the same breath, the same conversation as some of those guys like Mats Sundin, et cetera, it’s a big honor.”
Their selections are part of the NHL’s celebration of the past 25 years, with Quarter-Century Teams for each of the League’s 32 franchises and the Arizona Coyotes. The honorees were selected by broadcasters, national writers, local writers and NHL.com writers who have covered the respective teams, in addition to select former players.
The six players voted to each First Team will be on the ballot for the NHL All Quarter-Century Team that will be chosen via a fan vote that will start in February.
Make no mistake. Marner and Matthews may talk the talk but they walked the walk to make this list.
Since 2000, no Maple Leafs player has more points than the 695 (208 goals, 487 assists) put up by Marner. Matthews is second on that list with 675 points, including 380 goals, the most in that span.
