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In Photos: Inside $58.2M Auston Matthews' best offseason moments with friends & family
Toronto Maple Leafs' center Auston Matthews has been enjoying this offseason following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. After inking a four-year extension worth $53 million last summer, Matthews has been able to enjoy this summer without contract negotiations or free agency talks hanging over him.
After a first-round elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs, which saw his team eliminated by the Boston Bruins in a seven-game series, the Maple Leafs entered the offseason.
In a photo dump on Instagram, Matthews can be seen enjoying time with friends and family. In two photos, he can be seen in attendance at the UFC 303 card at the end of June. There, UFC light heavyweight champion and Glory Kickboxing Hall of Famer Alex Pereira successfully defended his title against Jiri Prochazka.
Matthews can be seen sitting cageside in one photo, while in another he can be seen standing in front of the Octagon with fellow NHL standout Clayton Keller. In another photo, Matthews can be seen alongside a number of his Maple Leafs teammates, although it's unclear what the team was gathered for.
The photo dump also showed Auston Matthews enjoying some time out on the golf course with Trevor Cheek, as well as several photos of Matthews and his dog. Check out the full photo carousel below.
Looking at Auston Matthews' summer so far and the season ahead
Auston Matthews missed Game 6 of Toronto's first-round series against the Boston Bruins due to an illness. Despite that, he suited up for Game 7, dishing out an assist in the Leafs' 2-1 OT loss.
After wrapping up the team's season, Matthews traveled to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award. He came up short this time, with the award ultimately going to Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. Matthews had previously won the award in 2022.
The day after the NHL Awards show, Matthews and several other US hockey stars were named as the first players announced for the mid-season 4 Nations tournament. Along with Matthews, Team USA announced Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, Charlies McAvoy and Adam Fox as their first six players.
Prior to the NHL draft, Auston Matthews spoke to media members about representing Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off:
"It'll be really special. It's always special to put [the USA sweater] on, and it's obviously a huge honor. I've been fortunate to wear it before, but nothing like the stage of a 4 Nations or the Olympics. That's a different level and a very big honor. I'm really looking forward to it."
With plenty of time left before the start of training camp for the 2024-25 NHL season ahead, fans will likely have more opportunities to get a glimpse of the Maple Leafs star's summer via Instagram.
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