Toronto Maple Leafs

There was a scary scene in the final two minutes of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers series between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Kristen Shilton of TSN Sports noted Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin "slid head-first into a knee" and remained down on the ice during a lengthy delay. Training and medical staffs from both teams came on the ice, and players on both sides expressed significant concern when the stretcher came out.

Mark Masters of TSN shared a look at the scene:  

Muzzin was eventually taken off the ice on a stretcher, which drew stick taps from the rest of the Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets:

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star explained the defenseman will need at least four days to be cleared to return to the ice if the injury requires hospitalization outside the bubble environment the NHL set up in Toronto for the Eastern Conference teams.

The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets are scheduled to play Game 3 on Thursday.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet noted Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Muzzin was taken to a local hospital.

As for the play in question, Sportsnet noted Muzzin's head collided with Oliver Bjorkstrand's legs when he was attempting to get up after Pierre-Luc Dubois knocked him to the ice. The Maple Leafs were on a penalty kill while nursing a 2-0 lead in the closing minutes.

Toronto eventually added an empty-netter to clinch a 3-0 win and even the series at a game apiece.

Prior to Tuesday's contest, Muzzin had appeared in 53 games for the Maple Leafs this season with 23 points on 17 assists and six goals. He had a plus-minus mark of plus-12.

Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. 

According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, two NHL sources said Matthews is in quarantine at his home in Arizona, and the hope is he will be "healthy enough and eligible to travel to Toronto and participate in the opening of Leafs camp on July 10."

In a statement, the Maple Leafs declined to comment on the report:

Simmons also reported that Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen had been spending time at Matthews' home while the NHL season has been suspended, but he did not test positive for COVID-19 and is "no longer living with Matthews—and is no longer in Arizona."

The NHL is in Phase 2 of its return-to-play plan. This phase allows teams to open their training facilities for players to take part in voluntary workouts, with a limited group of teammates present at one time. 

Phase 3 is scheduled to begin July 10 and will consist of formal training camps for the 24 teams in the expanded playoff format. An official date for the start of the postseason has yet to be announced. 

Auston Matthews can't take the ice for his Toronto Maple Leafs with the NHL season on hiatus, but he took the time to talk some hockey with music superstar Justin Bieber during an Instagram Live chat.

Matthews told Bieber his two favorite hockey players of all time are former Phoenix and Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan and Chicago Blackhawks right winger Patrick Kane.

Doan played for the Coyotes from the 1996-97 season through the 2016-17 season, and Matthews said he watched the right winger as a kid when he first got into hockey while living in Arizona with his family.

As for Kane, the Maple Leafs star called him his "favorite player to watch," highlighting the three-time Stanley Cup winner's ability to create magic with his puck-handling skills and speed in the open ice.

Bieber also asked Matthews who is the hardest player to defend against in the league, and he said Jack Eichel of Buffalo Sabres and Connor McDavid of Edmonton Oilers.

Considering Eichel and McDavid are both 23 and Matthews is 22, the Maple Leafs center is going to have his hands full for the foreseeable future.

The 2020 NHL All-Star Game has lost one of its brightest stars.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is dealing with "an ongoing wrist condition" that requires acute treatment and will prevent him from "actively participating in any on-ice events" at NHL All-Star Weekend, the team announced Wednesday.

Matthews will still attend the All-Star festivities Friday and Saturday at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.

Per Chris Johnston of NHL Network and Sportsnet, Matthews, currently tied for second in the league with 34 goals, will be replaced by Ottawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk on the Atlantic Division roster.

"Matthews' agent Judd Moldaver says Auston has been dealing with the wrist issue for at least three weeks and collectively the Leafs and all involved decided he needs the rest," TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted. "He's more than happy to represent in St Louis in any off ice capacity."

Matthews is considered day-to-day.

After winning the Calder Trophy in 2016-17 while playing in all 82 games as a rookie, Matthews missed 20 games in 2017-18, including a 10-game stretch after separating his right shoulder. He also dealt with back issues and a concussion.

Last year, he landed on injured reserve in late October, and the initial timetable for his return was four weeks. That injury sidelined the 2016 No. 1 overall pick after he had gotten off to a strong start, opening the year with seven consecutive multipoint games. That was the third-longest streak to open a season in NHL history.

The 22-year-old Matthews has had no trouble showing why he was highly touted entering the league. The Californian netted 74 goals through his first two seasons.  

The Maple Leafs (25-17-7, 57 points) are three points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The disorderly conduct and disruptive behavior charges filed against Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews stemming from a May incident in Scottsdale, Arizona, were dismissed Wednesday.

According to Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star, a spokesperson from the City of Scottsdale's communications department said Matthews reached a financial settlement with the female security guard who filed a complaint against him.

The security guard, Fayola Dozithee, told police that Matthews and a group of males tried to break into her car while she was doing paperwork and that Matthews pulled down his pants and grabbed his buttocks while leaving his underwear on.

Dozithee told police she was "terrified" by the incident and said Matthews told her he "thought it would be funny" to see how she reacted to the situation.

The incident wasn't reportedly publicly until September in the midst of Maple Leafs training camp. At the time, Matthews said he regretted his actions, per Joey Alfieri of Pro Hockey Talk:

"It's not something that I think any of us really wish we were talking about today. Unfortunately, it's the situation we're in. I regret any of my actions that would ever put a distraction on the team or distress any individual.

"I take a lot of pride in preparing myself for the season and representing the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as I can. Unfortunately due to the situation, I'm afraid I can't really make any other comments."

The 22-year-old Matthews is a Maple Leafs alternate captain, and he is in the midst of his fourth NHL season. He has the joint-sixth-most points in the league thus far during the 2019-20 campaign with 13 goals and 13 assists through 20 games.

Toronto selected Matthews with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft out of the United States National Development Program, and he has not disappointed with 124 goals and 231 points in 232 career games.

Matthews is a three-time All-Star, and he won the Calder Trophy in 2017 as the NHL's rookie of the year. He has also led Toronto to the postseason three times, although the Leafs have yet to win a playoff series during his tenure.

With 22 points through 20 games this season, Toronto is off to somewhat of a slow start, although it is still tied for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without some of their offensive firepower for a significant amount of time.

The Maple Leafs announced forward Mitch Marner will miss at least four weeks after suffering an ankle injury during Saturday's shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. He underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed the extent of the damage, and he will be reassessed in a minimum of four weeks.

This is a disappointing setback considering the 22-year-old is coming off a career season and has been durable throughout his time in the league.

Toronto selected him in the first round of the 2015 NHL draft, and he appeared in 77 games as a rookie in 2016-17 and all 82 games in each of the last two seasons. He finished the 2018-19 campaign with a career-best 94 points on 68 assists and 26 goals.

He also posted a plus-minus of plus-22.

Marner wasted little time making an impact this season with 18 points in the first 18 games. He has been a bright spot for a Maple Leafs team that has been somewhat inconsistent at 9-6-4 this season, and it will be up to marquee playmakers such as Auston Matthews and John Tavares to carry the offense until he is ready to return.

Toronto Maple Leafs star John Tavares will miss at least two weeks with a fractured finger he suffered during Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Per Toronto's media relations, Tavares will be reassessed by the medical staff in two weeks to determine his status. 

After spending nine years with the New York Islanders, the 28-year-old signed a seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs in July 2018. He made his NHL debut at the age of 19 and has tallied at least 54 points in nine of his first 10 seasons, including a career-high 88 last season. 

Toronto has high expectations for 2019-20 after racking up 100 points last year. Its 2018-19 campaign came to an abrupt end, losing in seven games to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

Through eight games this season, Tavares is tied for second on the team with three goals and ranks fourth with seven points 

Injuries have never been a big problem for Tavares, who has only missed more than five games in a season once when he tore his MCL during the 2014 Winter Olympics. He will be forced to miss at least six games, based on the two-week timetable. 

With the Canadian star on the shelf, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock will rely on Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to lead the offense. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced center John Tavares will serve as their captain for the 2019-20 season Wednesday.

Tavares, 29, is the 25th captain in franchise history. He ends a three-season vacancy at the captain spot, which was ceded after Dion Phaneuf was traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2016.

Tavares served as an alternate captain alongside Patrick Marleau and Morgan Rielly last season. Rielly, Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner are serving as the alternate captains for the Maple Leafs in 2019-20.

Police video of the woman who said Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and his friends attempted to get into her car on May 26 was leaked Wednesday.

In the video obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman describes what happened (warning: NSFW language):

She said she was working as a security guard at Matthews' residence when the incident occurred around 2 a.m. The woman, who is a military veteran, also told police that Matthews' friend was attempting to convince her not to report them and he said the incident was just a joke.

"The minute you try to invade my space, what the f--k were you thinking saying, 'We wanted to see how you'd react if we got into the back of your car'?" she told police in the video. "Are you serious right now? And, then they thought, 'Oh, you're a veteran so you're packing?' None of this s--t is funny."

The woman also said Matthews' father said she was lying before he was shown video of the incident.

Kevin McGran of The Star reported the incident happened in Scottsdale, Arizona, and a complaint was filed on May 28. Matthews is facing disorderly conduct charges and also allegedly dropped his pants after he and his friends attempted to get into the security guard's car.

According to McGran, the woman said Matthews kept his underwear up while dropping his pants. The police report said a security video showed a man walking with his underwear up but pants around his ankles.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs are aware of the complaint of disturbing the peace against forward Auston Matthews," the team said in a statement, per McGran. "Auston is cooperating fully with the relevant authorities but neither he nor the Club will comment any further out of respect for the process involved."

Luke Fox of Sportsnet reported the Maple Leafs were unaware of the allegations until they were made public.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews faces charges of disorderly conduct in Arizona after allegedly attempting to enter the car of a female security guard and dropping his pants as he walked away. 

Kevin McGran of The Star obtained a copy of the report, which was filed May 28 in Scottsdale. The woman said Matthews and his friends appeared intoxicated when they tried to enter her vehicle at 2 a.m.

"[She] jumped out of her vehicle to find out who was trying to get in her car ... and noticed it was Auston and his friends," according to the police report. "She confronted them and the response from Auston was they wanted to see what she would do and they believed it would be funny to see how she would respond. Fayola found this very disturbing [it] put her on edge.

"[She] said she'd told Auston and his friends, 'I am a female, I am a military vet with [severe] PTSD.' She also told them it wasn't funny and how could they think it would be funny to try [to] get in a female's vehicle at 2 a.m. in the morning."

According to the woman, a friend of Matthews attempted to calm the situation and asked the woman not to report them. However, Matthews then pulled down his pants to reveal his underwear as he walked away.

"As the friend was speaking to [the woman], she said Auston began to walk away and after he walked some distance, Auston pulled his pants down, bent over and grabbed his butt cheeks," the police report said. 

The Maple Leafs released a statement Tuesday saying that Matthews is fully cooperating with the investigation and they would not be making any further comment while it is ongoing.

Matthews is expected to be a captain for the Maple Leafs this season after posting 73 points in 2018-19. He is facing a potential of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.