NHL insider clears the air around Auston Matthews' Team USA participation for 4 Nations Face-Off

TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun shared details about Auston Matthews' participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA. Matthews has missed 15 games this season due to injuries which were a major hurdle in his participation.

Speaking on "SportsCentre" with Jay Onrait on Wednesday, LeBrun explained that Matthews, his agent Judd Moldaver and USA Hockey general manager Bill Guerin had planned for Matthews to play.

"Yeah I mean it was always the plan from a Leaf's perspective, from the Matthews Camp perspective, and his agent Judd Moldaver and also from Team USA perspective," LeBrun said," GM Bill Guerin to meet around this time two weeks out to make sure everything was OK."

The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off will take place from Feb. 12-20, in Montreal and Boston. Teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States will play in a round-robin format. The top two teams will compete in a final game.

The timing worked out when the Minnesota Wild visited Toronto on Wednesday, which the Leafs lost 3-1, allowing Guerin to meet with Matthews after the morning skate.

"Just so happens by coincidence that the Minnesota Wild were in Toronto on Wednesday night so that made things uh, um, you know a little easier," LeBrun said. "So Bill Guerin meeting with Auston Matthews while he was in Toronto after the morning skate um and certainly uh just you know dotting the eyes and crossing the tees and Brad Treliving and Bill Guerin also have a conversation."

LeBrun added that Matthews is healthy and ready to play for Team USA.

"Auston Matthews is healthy, he's back and obviously wants to play for Team USA and so yeah it's a done deal he will play for Team USA." LeBrun said.

This season, Matthews has 20 goals and 18 assists in 36 games for 38 points. He is playing his first season as captain of the Maple Leafs.

Auston Matthews's struggles with injury this season

Auston Matthews missed six games in December due to an upper-body injury, which also caused him to miss nine games in November. He traveled to Germany during his recovery for a consultation with a doctor trusted by many Leafs players. Despite the injury concerns, Matthews is fit to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Matthews will play for Team USA alongside other NHL stars like Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and Jack Eichel, among others. The tournament, hosted by the NHL, will replace the all-star game for 2025.