Auston Matthews makes his feelings known about choosing Joe Thornton for Leafs' mentors trip

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was extremely happy to have ex-NHL star Joe Thornton cheering him on during his recent game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The center scored a goal and an assist to lead his team to a 3-2 win on Tuesday night.

Joe Thornton was Matthews’ choice for the Leafs’ mentorship trip. It is a variation of the NHL’s annual tradition of inviting friends and family to join the team for a road game or two. The Maple Leafs’ center shared his excitement that Thornton agreed to the trip.

“He's not just my mentor. I feel like he's almost everybody's mentor here. But no, we're close. We talk all the time. And I thought it was just a cool opportunity to bring him along,” he said.

"And, you know, with his jersey retirement this year, and just the relationship that he still has with myself, a lot of guys on the team, staff members, you know, it's been a treat to have him so far. So it's been a lot of fun," the Leafs captain added.

Thornton played alongside Matthews during the COVID-hit 2020-21 season. The 45-year-old made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins in the 1997-98 season. He also played with the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers before announcing his retirement in 2023.

The team also extended invitations to Maple Leafs legends Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour to join the trip, which will finish with the game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on Thursday.

Auston Matthews inspired by Thornton’s leadership in the locker room

Matthews said both players became close when they had to quarantine together; they lived together for two weeks in a house outside Toronto, where they bonded over shared activities like basketball and late-night conversations.

The Toronto center stated that he was inspired by Thornton when they played together and turned to the ex-NHL star for advice on how to handle leadership responsibilities when he became the captain.

“When you’re around him, it’s like everyone’s involved,” Matthews said via The Athletic. “Everybody feels good… “His message was simple: You have to take care of the guys, make sure the room is taken care of and the guys are looking out for each other,” Matthews said.

Thornton was a popular choice for the mentor trip among most of the Maple Leafs’ players as well as the management.

Ahead of the trip, Leafs head coach Craig Berube said it was going to be great to have Thornton join them.