Auston Matthews | 4 Nations Faceoff | June 28, 2024

Auston Matthews | 4 Nations Faceoff | June 28, 2024

here for the next couple of years is that uh you know is that a welcome thing you think for yourself and for players to have some some big events here to to get some International creds yeah I think it’s extremely welcomed by I mean everybody it’s you know been a long time since we’ve had best on best and uh I’ve been fortunate to wear you know the USA uh Jersey before so it’s you know definitely a huge honor I know you know all the guys that have been selected here today um no matter what country you play for feel the same so it’s definitely a big honor how competitive do you think it’s going to be I think it’s going to be extremely competitive I think uh you know fast on best is something that guys have you know really been kind of wanting for for a while and um you know I think it’s just great for the game it’s it’s going to be extremely competitive and you I think there’s a lot of pride in playing for your country what’s that ntdp fraternity like just seeing guys over the years that you played with or maybe were before or after you yeah I mean I think it’s pretty tight obviously um you know you go through a lot of the similar things and you’re with each other for two years and you become extremely close so um you know I’m I’m still really t from with a lot of guys that that I played with uh with there and um you know I think it’s just a a unique program obviously and like I said you just get extremely extremely close with guys and you know even though you go kind of on your separate ways and on your individual teams you always kind of keep in touch what’s your fondest memory of those years um I mean I think just uh winning like uh we won the u8 gold which is kind of you know what you work for up uh you know the tiers playing there and um you know it definitely is uh a really big deal as far as um you know how how we evaluate in USA hockey and you know all the time and effort you kind of put in is is kind of geared towards that tournament so um I’ve had a lot of really great memories there and um you we had a really great group of guys so I’m looking forward to kind of reconnecting with with a lot of them and playing with each other again it’s been a while since you got a chance to Dawn a USA Jersey us Jersey so what will that be like after all these years of of of missed opportunities whether it’s Olympics or whatever yeah well it’ll be it’ll be really special I mean it’s always always special to to put it on it’s obviously a huge honor um you know like I said I’ve been fortunate to wear it before um but you know nothing like the stage of you know like a four nations or the Olympics obviously that’s a you know a different level and uh very uh big honor so I’m really looking forward to it for team North America right you’re with McDavid and mckin right like at that time was in the back of your mind like one day we’re going to play each other internationally right what’s that going to be like yeah I mean honestly at that point in time I don’t think I was thinking much about that there was so much going on and it was just really cool to to be a part of that team and obviously play with a lot of great players and you know obviously as you kind of go throughout your career a little bit and throughout the last uh you know several years um you know playing against those guys obviously so much respect for them and uh the kind of players and people that they are so um you know it would be a lot of fun to compete against them how would you describe the caliber of Team you think the us is going to be able to together for this well I think it’s going to be great I mean you look at uh you know the potential players and um I think there’s going to be a lot of hard decisions I mean for all four teams um know there’s a lot of really really good talent in the NHL now and so um like I said I think it’s going to be a highly competitive tournament and um you know guys have a lot of Pride playing for their country so it’s going to be fun along those lines Austin I mean previous best on best tournaments for you the Olympics whether it be World Cup it’s always Canada was the favorite going in is Canada still the favorite going in I don’t know um I’ll leave that for you guys to decide uh I think it’s it’s tight I mean all four teams have great players um you know I think in in situations in tournaments like this it’s kind of uh who can kind of come together and be a team as quickly as possible um you know it’s usually the team that has the most success so I think that’s kind of uh you know the main goal is you’re going to have a lot of you know really elite players it’s kind of just putting putting the ego aside and and doing what’s best for for the team and coming coming together as quickly as possible what was your initial thoughts on Sheldon getting let go and what are your early impressions of Craig um I thought we were here to talk about the four nations uh tournament uh Luke but uh maybe we can revisit that in September any thoughts on uh Mitch or free agency and and sort of the craziness that’s surrounding what’s going on with Mitch Kevin you just heard what I I had to ask all I going to say is we love Mitch obviously um there’s a lot of noise revolving all that but um you know we love Mitchie um he’s a great person great teammate I I can’t speak uh highly enough about him so on the international side back in Sweden you mentioned that you’d love it if the NHL would take the game to Mexico has anything gone beyond those comments like have you thought about it has the NHL thought about it is there anything going on that way I don’t know I’m not sure I’m not in those conversations uh but I mean it’ be cool um I I mean the guys I think the consensus after that Sweden trip was you know it was was a lot of fun I think it was really well done and um you know something that we’d be open to doing again so when you guys were in the moment with Team North America did you ever have any idea that essentially that would become a team that’s going to live forever people are always going to talk about that week um yeah I don’t know I guess like in the moment um not really but you look back and you see the players that you know were on that team and um you know where they kind of stand today and a lot of the most uh elite players are you know were kind of a part of that team so um I felt really fortunate to to be a part of it and get to get to play um you know alongside a lot of those guys and you know not competing against them uh and I didn’t night out in the NHL um it’s a lot of fun so you’re one of the first six names for this team do you have you taken any time to look at the depth and what it you know fill out your own type of roster what who could be on this team beyond the first have you have you done that at all uh maybe not like that in depth I’ve definitely thought about you know different guys and just kind of went through each team and um yeah like I said at the start I mean there’s there’s so much good talent um you know in USA hockey and in the NHL so um you know it’s an honor to be selected I know there’s going to be a lot of tough decisions kind of coming down the line but um I think that’s a a nice uh nice thing to have um to have that that many players that are are pushing for for spots um to make it competitive I know playoff success and Stanley Cups and such all players want to chase that first and foremost but how would you describe your desire for international success and gold medals and those sorts of things maybe compared to your desire for Stanley Cup success yeah I mean I’d say it’s it’s right up there um you know like I said playing for your countries it’s it’s a huge honor and it’s not something that um you know everybody gets to do throughout their career so I don’t think it’s anything that uh myself or anybody else takes lightly and um you know when you think about you know the big stages and stuff like the Olympics um like this tournament is going to be um you know I think there’s a lot of Pride that goes into it so it’s definitely going to be competitive and um you know everybody wants to win so I think it’s going to be great what do you think of the format of the event like the checks are not going to be there the Russians obviously so that no pter NE no panan so when we talk of best and best not all the best going to be there what’s your point of view about yeah I mean I guess it is what it is I don’t uh you know really make those decisions this is what they decided and I think uh you know two years down the line when when the Olympics happens I I think that’s going to be obviously a great um a great tournament as well but um I think a lot of people are just excited that we’re getting some sort of international playback what be like to play with Quinn yeah it’d be obviously great um you know he’s a special player obviously um you know best defenseman in the League this year and um you know I got a ton of respect for him and you know all all five of the guys that you know were selected today I know pretty well so um you know like I said it’s it’s a big honor it’s going to be it’s going to be a lot of fun and um you know it’s going to be competitive and I think we’re just really looking forward to it Quinn was just talking about how many of you guys have overlapped in the development program and I think for you Adam Fox is is one of those just how have you seen him evolve from from back then until now playing against him in the NHL yeah I mean even um you know back at the ntdp like he was you know really good player I think maybe he was a little bit under size so maybe it was kind of thought you know sometimes they you never know but um I think just the way he plays the the confidence and po that he has he’s kind of had it his whole life and you know from what I’ve seen when we played uh at the ntdp together um you know he’s he’s a really special player so looking forward to playing with him Canada USA has been I mean there been some nastiness there good rivalry do you think this event sets up for that mid-season like this like do you think it’ll be kind of a a heated rivalry between you yeah I mean for sure um you know us Canada Sweden Finland I think there’s uh a lot of respect there but obviously a lot of Pride as well and um you know I think it’s it’s going to be good too that it’s kind of halfway through the year you’re you know not necessarily um trying to get the cobwebs out like at the start of the start of the Season kind of like how the World Cup was so I think that’s uh definitely a positive thing about that that everybody’s going to be going to be in mid in that in mind how do you think your top six Stacks up against their six that they just named today I mean they got a pretty Elite six so um you know I’m pretty confident in our guys as well but obviously uh a lot of respect for those players they’re you know obviously very very talented very skilled and have great careers what kind of challenge is unique to Finland and Sweden specifically sorry what kind of challenge is unique to Finland and Sweden do you think um you know I just think the way they play um you know I found like Sweden Finland they they play with a lot of cohesiveness they’re very structured and um you know maybe play a little bit different style as far as you know like what you typically seen the NHL game and um you know obviously presents challenges but um you know in the end it’s just trying to get out there and and compete and and do what you can out help the team win awesome you play with Charlie makoy against him with him just what does he add to your team and how excited are you to play with him now again yeah I’m excited um I mean myself Charlie Matthew um you know we’re all in the same team at the ntdp so um you know we know each other really well and obviously we’re all in the same division so um you know it would be fun just to to play with each other and you know kind of be on the same side again and um you know Charlie’s an incredible player he’s he kind of brings so many different elements to to the team to the game he’s physical um but offensively he’s extremely gifted as well and you know defensively obviously is is very good as well so um I’m really looking forward to it you A Team USA that you remembered from when you were growing like an Olympic team or a World Cup team that that really influenced you I mean I think the you know tough result but the 2010 Vancouver team that you know they placed uh second um but obviously you know a lot of those guys Kaner TJ ooshi um you know the whole the shootout and all that stuff against Russia and um that’s probably my you know my fondest memory of you know watching team youe as a kid you brought your uh you brought your parents you brought your family to the award can you speak a little bit about what they’ve meant to you through the years and why you brought them here oh well I mean I wouldn’t be here without them and obviously their support and um and everything means so much to me so um you know it’s fun to kind of share these moments and and go through this uh you know these kinds of things together and just kind of enjoy it so it means a lot everybody in the Atlantic is chasing Matthew now what was your reaction to the Panthers wining the cup yeah I mean they’re they’re a great team is you know well deserved um you know I thought um you know it’s always uh it’s always tough to watch but you know uh it’s always you know learning lessons and stuff that you can take away as well a lot of the alltime greats have used these best on best tournaments to really build their legacy you’re all going to be star players going into this do you view it that way going into it it’s a chance to kind of show the world who you are I mean I think it’s more so like it’s it’s a it’s a team and you know like I said like everybody’s kind of has to put the ego aside and and do what’s best for the team and um you know whoever comes together the the quickest is is probably going to be the most successful so um I think that’s kind of the mindset going into it for myself and I think everybody involved that you know no one person is going to win the tournament it’s you know if we win then everybody looks good so that’s obviously um the goal you talk about the pride I mean Sweden Finland Canada us whether whatever tournament is with that the USA across your chest just the pride no matter what kind of tournament is whether it’s Olympics World Championship whatever yeah I mean of course it’s always a you know special feeling to put on the Jersey and and represent your country um I think I speak for everybody when I say that whether you play for Finland Canada Sweden or the US um you know there’s a lot of Pride that goes into it so um definitely that something that’s not taken lightly or taken for granted been in the sphere yet not yet supposed to be something yeah I know are you going to be at the draft uh I don’t think so

Auston Matthews speaks with the media about the 4 Nations Faceoff event.

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