"That Auston Matthews GIF": Maple Leafs star’s hilarious reaction to Cale Makar's Hardest Shot has fans in stitches

Auston Matthews stole the spotlight during the NHL All-Star skills competition as Cale Makar, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman, demonstrated his abilities, especially in the Hardest Shot event. Matthews' uproarious response, rather than Makar's formidable shot, became the talk of the town and left fans in stitches.

A video post shared by Spittin' Chiclets on X captured the moment Matthews pulled a "stank face" in response to Makar's blistering shot.

Makar clinched the Rogers NHL Hardest Shot title with an impressive shot clocking in at 102.56 miles per hour, narrowly edging out Canucks forward J.T. Miller, who recorded a speed of 102.34 miles per hour. At that moment, the competition standings revealed Makar's dominance with 11 points, securing a one-point lead over Elias Pettersson, four points over Mathew Barzal, and a significant six-point advantage over superstars Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

As fans flocked to X to view the video post, their reactions poured in. One fan playfully suggested,

"Someone gotta teach him to put the stick on the ice for a slapper lol"

Another fan chimed in with a simple yet resonant comment, stating,

"that Auston Matthews GIF."

Amid the laughter and banter, some fans took the opportunity to express their pride in the Toronto Maple Leafs, with one fan noting,

"Toronto has never seen some great talent on the ice."

One comment captured the anticipation surrounding future game days in leaf land, predicting,

"This reaction video is really gonna hit on some game days here in leaf land."

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Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews and Nylander shine in NHL All-Star skills event

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander shone in the NHL All-Star skills competition, dominating the Honda/Hyundai NHL One-on-One.

Nylander, securing nine points, said,

“Just trying to get as many shots as possible...”

Matthews, with seven points, was nervous after a poor start but aimed to sneak into the second round. They progressed to the Pepsi Obstacle Course, with Nylander calling it his favorite event despite finishing fourth. Matthews finished third in the standings with 18 points, and Nylander fourth with 16.

Despite initial struggles, Matthews said,

“I thought I was dead in the water after the first event....”

Both praised the new format, envisioning a competitive and fun future for skills competitions. Matthews believed teammates Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner would have excelled, saying,

“....I think they would have been really good”

Despite not winning, Auston Matthews concluded,

“It was good…a lot of fun, pretty competitive.”