Auston Matthews Is Ready for His Close-Up

Auston Matthews has a lot to celebrate. The past two seasons he scored a remarkable 132 points (he was the first in the modern era to score four goals in his debut game) and, oh yeah, he just turned 21.

Raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Matthews became a Phoenix Coyotes fan at age 2. He started playing soon afterward and was eventually recruited to the U.S. Men's National Team, where he was awarded MVP status in the 2015 Under-18 Men's World Championship. In 2016, he was drafted to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL's first pick that season. He would be decorated with the Calder Memorial Trophy (which is awarded to the "Best Rookie") and a new Rolex. In fact, it's this emerging fashion sense—bold-patterned hoodies and double-breasted blazers—that has gotten him noticed off the ice. Here, we chat with Matthews about his career and fashion, and why he counts Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Westbrook as style influences.

GQ: What would your pitch be to someone who doesn't watch hockey?
Auston Matthews: Hockey has changed a lot. There's not a lot of fighting anymore. There aren't a lot of goons. It's a fast, skilled game and I'd honestly tell them to go try ice skating and get a stick and a puck and go out there and try playing. It's kind of what I realized when I got into golf and realized how difficult it was. People are like, "Why would you watch golf? It's so boring." But I have an appreciation for how hard it is, and I enjoy playing and I enjoy watching different guys. I think it's the same thing for hockey.

So what percentage of the NHL golfs?
Probably like 90 percent. Honestly. It's a lot. Everybody somehow gets into it.

What's been the biggest change for you since being drafted to the Toronto Maple Leafs?
My life has changed quite a bit, honestly. You go from living in Scottsdale, Arizona, where it's different and not anything like Toronto. You're in the hockey mecca of the world. You get recognized all around Toronto, all around Canada. It's definitely a bit of a change in pace, but I say it all the time: It's something I don't take for granted, because you're playing in such an amazing city with such passionate fans. These are people that truly care and watch the team and want us to be successful.

Is there a moment getting recognized that jumps out to you?
I think the first time I ever got recognized in Toronto was the summer I got drafted and I was in Toronto with my parents. We went and grabbed dinner, and I had a hat on, and a mom was walking her kid on the street. She stopped, got my attention, and just left her kid in the stroller and asked for a picture. She said, "My husband loves the team. We're so happy to have you." I was just like, "You, out of all people? You noticed me? I haven't even played a game for the team."

Any attention from non-moms?
I'm one of three or four guys on the team who isn't in a relationship. So I get a little bit more attention than some others would. [laughs]

What shouldn't a girl do when she recognizes you?
I don't know, talk about hockey. I talk about it all the time, so it's not something I want to talk about, to be honest.

What are your favorite spots to hit up in Toronto?
There's so much going on: food, restaurants, bars. Morgan Rielly and the other guys who have been here for a while know their spots and introduce me to them. There's Sotto Sotto, which is an Italian spot. It's pretty classic, I guess. It's been around for quite a while. There's also Jacobs Steakhouse and Lee, which is an Asian-fusion restaurant that is probably my favorite restaurant in the city. I go there not too much, but it's the kind of restaurant you go to if you want to treat yourself. I'll go with my parents or, maybe, if I find a lucky girl I'll take her there on a date or something.

Do you have any weird superstitions?
For probably, like, five years now, I've always taped my stick the same way: from the toe to the blade to the heel. I always put my left shin-pad and my left skate on first until I get to my upper body. I do a lot of different stuff to get my mind right and get in the zone. I always say a prayer before I get off the ice from warmups. And then, even during warmups, I'll have stuff I like to do with the puck or different skating stuff. I feel like it's all a mental checklist in your mind to get yourself ready for the games.

What started your interest in fashion?
I think I caught on to fashion the year I was over in Switzerland. They definitely have their own sense of fashion over there, and it's kind of different and it's kind of eye-opening. For myself, personally, it was my first year playing professional hockey, so I was making money and I was seeing a lot of stuff that I wanted to buy. So I had the opportunity to experiment a little. That was when I first got into it, and then I got into it more and more, especially when I got into the NHL.

Would you say the sport's fashion sense is evolving?
I think the NHL, compared to other sports, is a little more reserved and traditional. We wear suits to all of our games. Other sports, they're free to wear whatever and be creative. But I definitely think it's evolved quite a bit. The guys are younger and they like to wear different stuff, like stuff that stands out and not just black and white. For me, it's cool to see. And maybe one day down the line the NHL will want to do something like what basketball and football, where guys are free to wear whatever and get creative and make things a little more interesting. I don't mind at all wearing a suit. I actually kind of like it. I have a lot of suits in my closet. I get different ones every year. But at the same time, I wouldn't hate being able to wear street clothes and something different than a suit.

What are your favorite brands?
I like Gucci a lot. I like Off-White quite a bit. A lot of their shoes and stuff are different and hard to get. Givenchy, I like a lot. Louis Vuitton, I like their luggage and wallets. I tend to lean toward that as far as that goes. I think my number one is Gucci.

So style-wise what would be in the Auston Matthews starter pack?
For fragrance, Saint Laurent or Tom Ford. The watch was my first big purchase in my first year. I bought a Rolex Submariner. I had never really owned a nice watch like that, and it was a big investment, so that's my go-to. I always wear it when I travel with suits and stuff. Louis Vuitton wallets and Louis Vuitton duffels. Bottega Veneta backpacks.

Is there anyone you would consider a style influence?
Russell Westbrook. I don't know whether I would wear everything he does. But he's got his own thing, and I respect that a lot. He's different from everyone else, and he's unique and has his own way of going about things, and I really like that. I'm a big basketball fan as well. The Oklahoma City Thunder has always been my team, so I like rooting for them. And I like Leonardo DiCaprio, too. I like his style and I like those newsboy hats that he wears a lot. I've been thinking about wearing some to games this year with my suit.