Well, Auston Matthews just finished an interesting nine-minute conference call with Maple Leafs media.

He was in Florida, enjoying the bye week with some teammates, and the call was about the 19-year-old phenom being named Toronto’s representative at the NHL all-star game later this month.

But what stood out from Matthews’ comments wasn’t anything about this latest honour. He is excited to go, as any teenager would be. He is looking forward to meeting Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the Chicago Blackhawks stars who he grew up watching and admiring for their play.

What stood out was Matthews’ complete, unshakable confidence in himself, and the fact he knows he deserves, 39 games into his career, to be there among the world’s best players. Somehow he managed to sound humble during all of it, too, which is hard to imagine given what he was saying.

Early in the call, Matthews was asked if he was surprised by all his success at such a young age.

“Honestly not really,” he said. “I think I know what I’m capable of.”

Later on, Matthews was asked what he thought of Leafs coach Mike Babcock’s prediction that he would be “a dominant centre” in the NHL by Christmas (i.e. a few weeks ago). Was it daunting to hear those words?

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said. “I think he’s right. I feel I’m playing well. I feel like I can be a dominant centre.”

Matthews was the no-brainer choice from the Leafs to go to the all-star weekend in Los Angeles. He has easily been Toronto’s best player in the first half. He is on pace for 44 goals – one of the most prolific goal scoring seasons by a rookie ever – and he leads the Leafs in goals, points and shots on goal.

He has also been a great two-way presence for the Leafs, helping carry an all-rookie line to strong possession results.

There had been some discussion in recent days that perhaps Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello would rather a veteran instead of a rookie at the all-star game, but that would have been absurd this season, with Matthews so clearly deserving of the honour. I asked deputy commissioner Bill Daly about the team’s role in selecting all-stars, and he said it wouldn’t even be possible for Lamoriello to dictate who went.

“Teams are generally consulted with regard to the selection of all-stars from their team and are free to provide input, but the league office makes the final decisions,” Daly said. “Clubs don’t have ‘veto’ rights.”

Matthews’ comments were interesting, though. They’re not anything outside of the norm of what we’ve heard from him, as he has never shied away from all of the praised heaped at his feet so far in Toronto.

But they’re also not a problem. Some might try and convey what he is saying as cockiness, but what he really means is he feels ready to try to meet those kinds of expectations.

In a lot of ways, that’s what makes Matthews perfect for a starring role in Toronto. He won’t be thrown off by accolades and pressure and hype. It won’t change who he is or what he does.

That’s what everyone who knows him has said from the beginning, even before he was drafted.

“He can handle playing in the NHL,” said Don Granato, his coach with the U.S. National Team Development program. “If he has a bad night, he’s not going to lose confidence. He’s going to elevate. His internal self expectation is incredibly high. That’s what’s driven the skill advancement. Especially when he came to us.”

Matthews is confident because he wants to test himself, Granato explained. He wants to get better and be the best.

“Any time I put pressure on him, he’d just elevate,” Granato said. “I could challenge him, and he loved it. He loves to be challenged.”

To Matthews, that’s what Babcock’s message about being a dominant centre was: a challenge. That’s what playing at the all-star game is, too. It’s not daunting. It’s all competition, and Matthews is the sort of person who loves to have a high bar set.

Of late, it’s been going up and up.

***

Below is the full transcription of Matthews’ comments to the media today:

Congratulations. I was just wondering if you could put into words what this means to you to be named to the all-star game in your rookie season?

AM: First of all thank you. It means a lot. It’s a huge honour to be named to this. With some of the best players in the league. To be noticed as one of them is definitely a big honour. To be able to represent the Maple Leafs over there later this month is definitely a special feeling.

I’m just wondering with the body of work that you had coming into the NHL you probably had a pretty good idea that you were going to be a successful player and that you were going to fit in and be able to play but I was just wondering if you look back at the first half of your first season and does it surprise you how successful you’ve been, how many points you put up, how well you fit in and what you’re accomplishing right now at the NHL level? Are you at all surprised at the amount of success that you’ve had?

AM: Um, honestly not really. I think I know what I’m capable of. Going into the season, it’s just you want to soak it all in, learn as much as possible. I think that’s what I was trying to do so far. I think I’ve tried to get better each and every day, work at my weaker points of the game and try to apply it to all areas. So far this season, we’ve had eight rookies on the season so a lot of guys are going through similar things. We lean on each other quite a bit. To me, I think the season has gone really well so far. We’ve enjoyed it. We’re playing in the NHL. We’re living our dreams. So it’s definitely been a blast.

I’m just curious if you have a favourite memory of past all-star games or if there’s someone that you’re looking forward to being with at your first one?

AM: I’d always watch the all-star games and the skills competition growing up. The year where OV put on an absolute show when he was spinning around with the puck and flipping it up in the air, I always liked watching the breakaway challenge and all the props the guys bring out. I’m really looking forward to meeting all the guys, all the players that I grew up watching like Patrick Kane, Toews. A lot of players that are superstars in this league that myself and a lot of other guys have looked up to. I’m just really looking forward to the whole experience.

What are your expectations for the second half of the season and secondary to that what’s this [bye] week been like for you in terms of maybe re-energizing a little bit?

AM: As a team, I think we’re capable of a lot. We’ve got a lot of talent. A lot of skill. We’re young but I think these last couple weeks we’ve been able to put it together. We’ve been able to string along a four or five game win streak. There’s still things we want to work on, but we’re a very talented team and I think we’ve gotten better as the season has gone on. Going into the second half, we want to make a push. We want to stay in this position and in a playoff spot and I definitely think we’re capable of doing that. This week’s been nice. You get away from the game a little bit, takes the mind off of hockey. Kind of rejuvenate, re-energize yourself and get ready for a big second half here.

Auston where exactly are you? Did you go home to Arizona?

AM: No I actually went to Florida with some of the guys on the team. We’re down here just enjoying the weather, enjoying some sun. Relaxing.

In November, the coach made a comment about you, I forget the exact wording, but he said something like you would be a dominant centre by Christmas, which is quite the short time table for a 19-year-old. But I think what he meant by that was kind of around that time he saw your trajectory he was going to start using you differently, giving you tougher minutes against tougher opponents. Are you kind of ready to take that next step and play against the other team’s top lines on a more regular basis?

AM: Yeah I think so. I feel comfortable going out there against any line and obviously the first half of the season we were kind of sheltered as Babs kind of said we were playing more against second, third lines, especially at home. But no I feel comfortable, especially with the guys I play with. Zach Hyman, he’s obviously one of the hardest working guys on the team. And, lately it’s been Connor Brown, but him and Willie, all of us, this being our rookie year, we’ve all gotten better and learned the biggest part is especially in the defensive zone and positioning and away from the puck and all that stuff. I think it’s going really well for us. I think that’s why we’ve had more success of late. I definitely feel I’m ready for that challenge and it’s definitely motivation.

What did you think when you heard him say you’d be a dominant centre by Christmas? It’s both a compliment and it’s a bit daunting to hear those words at the same time, isn’t it?

AM: Oh, I don’t know. I think he’s right. I feel I’m playing well. I feel like I can be a dominant centre. I think the biggest adjustment has just been playing without the puck and I think that’s been the most important thing for myself and all of us. The first year and that, how tough it is to play in this league, nobody really makes mistakes out there and positioning is so key and you’ve got to have that down. Playing well without the puck, playing well in the D zone, it makes life a little bit easier when you are playing against those top lines and top players.

Where does the all-star selection sort of rank for you in terms of all of these moments that you’ve already had in the first 39 games here of your NHL career?

AM: Well it definitely ranks up there, close to the top. Going into the season, you don’t always think about too much of that stuff. You let your play dictate that. To be selected, it’s a huge honour. You’re going over there, you’re being recognized as one of the best players in the league, so for me I’m just embracing this season as a whole. I just want to get better every day and have fun and enjoy myself. That’s kind of been the key for me throughout the season.