Matthews set to celebrate 100th game with old friends The Maple Leafs star will face former teammates Clayton Keller and Christian Fischer with his hometown Arizona Coyotes in Toronto, Kristen Shilton writes.

Kristen Shilton TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter Follow|Archive

TORONTO – So much of Auston Matthews’ young career has already unfolded as if from some Hollywood script.

There was the four-goal NHL debut. The Centennial Classic overtime winner. The homecoming against his childhood team in Arizona that also marked the 1,500th NHL game of his idol Shane Doan. Even the goal Doan scored against Matthews’ line that night, marking the 400th of his career, is a highlight. Werdum

Given the storybook start to his first 99 NHL games, it’s no surprise the stars have aligned once again for his 100th. Matthews missed four games with an upper-body injury earlier this month, pushing the milestone game back to Monday night ­– which just so happens to be when the Coyotes make their annual trip to Toronto.

“It’s flown by. I guess that’s what everybody says, [time] flies by when you’re in this league and it sure has,” said Matthews. “It’ll be a pretty special night, obviously, playing the hometown team so it should be fun. I have a lot of good friends on the other side there so it’ll be a good one for sure.”

Two individuals eager to meet Matthews on the ice Monday night are Coyotes’ forwards Clayton Keller and Christian Fischer. They were teammates of Matthews’ at the U.S. National Team Development Program (Fischer from 2013-15, Keller in 2014-15) and were all part of the team that won under-18 World Junior Championship gold in 2015 (Matthews also won under-18 gold in 2014).

The Scottsdale native still holds especially fond memories of the international tournament experience and the months of preparation it took for the group to reach their goal.

“Your whole two years is kind of based off winning that tournament, it’s what you work for,” he said. “It’s a really big deal. It was something I’ll never forget, for sure; how you’re over there representing your country, playing with the same group of guys for two years straight for one goal. When you meet that, it’s pretty special.”

Now the three friends will share the same ice as professionals for the first time, a day they could only dream of after bonding quickly in Ann Arbour, Mich. Once Keller, who’s a year younger than Matthews, was called up to the under-18 team, he began driving Matthews home from practice and to school, car rides they’d spend trash-talking each other’s Xbox skills.

Fischer, meanwhile, spent two seasons as Matthews’ roommate.

“I think I kind of ran the show in the room a bit,” Fischer recalled with a smile. “I controlled the TV and the temperature but he’s a good roommate, a good guy. He’s still one of my best friends. Playing against him tonight is something I’ll remember.”

Fischer said Matthews was a gracious host when the Coyotes got into town Sunday night, treating him and Keller to dinner at an upscale steakhouse. While Fischer denies Matthews will get the same swanky treatment when the Leafs play in Arizona come December (“I told him we’re not going anywhere nice like that”), he can attest to the fact Matthews hasn’t let superstar status in Toronto change who he is.

“You can see what he can do with the puck and the type of person he is. He’s really humble,” said Fischer. “He’s one of a kind, a generational talent. I think we played together for our whole first year [at the NTDP] and he’s such an easy player to play with.”

“It was good to get close to him. He’s just a great guy, really humble,” added Keller. “[His success] doesn’t surprise me. As soon as I practised with him and saw how hard he works, nothing ever surprises me with him.”

The friends took decidedly different paths after the U.S. NTDP to their initial NHL tilt – Matthews through the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, Keller by way of Boston University and Fischer via the OHL and AHL – and they’ll surely pause to enjoy the moment in warm-ups Monday. But once the puck drops, all bets are off.

“It was nice just to see [Auston], catch up. Tonight it’s a little different,” said Fischer. “We’re enemies on the ice. If I have a chance to hit him, I’m going to hit him.”

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Maple Leafs projected lineup vs. Coyotes

Hyman-Matthews-Nylander

Marleau-Kadri-Komarov

Van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Marner

Martin-Moore-Brown

Rielly-Hainsey

Gardiner-Zaitsev

Borgman-Carrick

Andersen starts

McElhinney