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Matthews was selling more jerseys league-wide than anyone but Sidney Crosby in the first three months of his NHL career, but when the club had new sweaters to promote for the Jan. 1 Centennial Classic, they chose to feature their four alternate captains: Tyler Bozak, Matt Hunwick, Leo Komarov and Morgan Rielly.

Photo by Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press

Matthews stole the show that day under the lights at BMO Field anyway, scoring twice, including the overtime winner.

Walk around the ACC, and you won’t see faces from a historic rookie class that has shattered franchise records for goals, points and assists, but you might see Bozak, Nazem Kadri or James van Riemsdyk. During breaks in the action at Leaf home games, the club might air pre-taped bits of players reading mean tweets or guessing which artist sang which song, but those bits won’t include a single rookie, either.

When Matthews broke Wendel Clark’s 31-year-old record for goals last week against Florida, TSN couldn’t interview him in the first intermission, nor could they get William Nylander or Zach Hyman, the linemates who assisted on historic goal No. 35. Rookies aren’t permitted to do in-game interviews.

Even Connor Carrick and Josh Leivo, young players who aren’t actually rookies, are deemed off-limits for broadcast crews. That means a handful of veterans shouldering extra media duties (sometimes wearily) with Toronto dressing at least seven rookies most nights this season.

The Leafs will make the odd exception for history — like when Matthews became the first player in NHL history to score four goals in a debut — but only after the game is already done.