‘What a phenomenal tournament those guys put on and to see Auston bring home the gold, I\u2019m super-pumped for him,’ defenceman Jake McCabe says<\/p>\n
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Published Feb 22, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 4\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Auston Matthews<\/a>\u2019 Maple Leafs teammates<\/a> \u2014 Canadian and American \u2014 couldn\u2019t have been happier for him on Sunday.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Maple Leafs captain, and for the past two weeks in Milan, the captain of the United States, is bringing a gold medal back to Toronto after the U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final on Sunday at the Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d defenceman Jake McCabe, a Wisconsin native, said after the Leafs practised at the Ford Performance Centre. \u201cIt\u2019s what dreams are made of, frankly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a phenomenal tournament those guys put on and to see Auston bring home the gold, I\u2019m super-pumped for him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe schedule has been a lot and then to travel over there and play in meaningful and emotional games, now you have to come back and ramp it right back up.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s going to be buzzing here. He will excited to get back to us after celebrating and stepping on the gas here.\u201d<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/p>\n RECOMMENDED VIDEO We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play VideoSimilar experience<\/p>\n McCabe could relate, to a point. He was the U.S. captain when the Americans won gold at the 2013 world junior championship in Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cBit of a smaller stage,\u201d McCabe said with a smile. \u201cReally, I can\u2019t put an Olympic gold into perspective. I\u2019m sure he\u2019s having a hard time doing that too. It\u2019s pretty surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n While Vancouver native Morgan Rielly, naturally, was cheering for Canada as most of the Leafs gathered in the dressing room at Ford to watch the game, he was thrilled for his pal Matthews. Rielly, who won gold with Canada at the 2016 world championship, acknowledged it was \u201cbittersweet\u201d that Canada lost, but looked at it from the Leafs\u2019 view.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the Toronto Maple Leafs, that\u2019s best-case, in my opinion. To watch your guy be the captain of an Olympic gold-medal winning team, it\u2019s pretty cool,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you put \u2018Olympic gold medal champion\u2019 next to your name, that adds a lot. He earned it, and he\u2019s the captain. That whole team played really well. They were deep, you have to give it to those guys.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly incredibly proud of Auston and happy for him and everything he accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Leafs coach Craig Berube: \u201cIt\u2019s great for him. We\u2019re very happy for Auston. Congrats to him and the USA team. I thought he had a great Olympics. Big boost for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews will re-join the Leafs on Tuesday in Tampa, Berube said, where Toronto\u2019s post-Olympics games start on Wednesday against the Lightning.<\/p>\n There was an Olympic flavour at practice on Sunday, as defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was back on the ice with the Leafs. For Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander, the Olympics came to an end last Wednesday when Sweden lost to the U.S. in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great getting to hang out with all the Swedish guys and battle with them and the experience in the village, the food and everything around it was pretty special,\u201d Ekman-Larsson said of his time in Milan.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Berube said Nylander will skate on his own on Monday during an off-day for the Leafs before joining the team for practice on Tuesday.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a bit of a repeat of history, as Matthews\u2019 gold comes 20 years after Mats Sundin<\/a>, at the time the captain of the Leafs, had the C on his sweater for Sweden as it beat Finland in the gold-medal match at the Olympics in Turin.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so special to feel this feeling, play for your country, to do it in this kind of fashion, I don\u2019t even know what to say,\u201d Matthews told rinkside reporter Kyle Bukauskas after the game. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews had his fingerprints on the U.S. victory.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old assisted on the Americans\u2019 first goal of the game, by Matt Boldy at 6:00 of the first period.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Immediately before Cale Makar scored the tying goal late in the second period, the U.S. couldn\u2019t control the puck after Matthews took a defensive-zone faceoff against Canada\u2019s Bo Horvat.<\/p>\n In six games in Milan, Matthews had three goals and four assists.<\/p>\n Redemption for Matthews<\/p>\n The win for the U.S. comes a year after Canada triumphed in the championship match of the 4 Nations Face-Off in Boston<\/a>. Matthews was on the ice when Mitch Marner set up Connor McDavid for the winning goal in overtime.<\/p>\n The victory should help put aside, from a mental standpoint and for the time being, the failures Matthews has had in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the Leafs.<\/p>\n Now, we\u2019ll see whether Matthews can take the emotions of standing atop the world in a best-on-best competition and keep that momentum going for the Leafs.<\/p>\n With the Leafs facing must-win games right away, considering their six-point deficit in the race for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, Matthews will have to be in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are lots of guys that have a lot on their shoulders, and for Auston to go over there and do that \u2026 we don\u2019t control the narrative,\u201d Rielly said. \u201cBut I hope for him that he can jump on that plane and come home and feel proud of himself. He deserves that.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"United](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CP175858577.jpg\")
United States’ Auston Matthews challenges Canada’s Jordan Binnington during the men’s gold-medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Photo by Bruce Bennett \/THE ASSOCIATED PRESSArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.6.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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