After a stellar junior career with the US National Team Development Program, Auston Matthews took the decision to play professional hockey in Switzerland for ZSC Lions Zurich in his draft year. We take a look back at the phenom’s debut game in the Champions Hockey League, the First Leg of the Swiss club’s Round of 32 clash against Sparta Prague in 2015/16.
ZSC won all four of their Group P games and headed to the Czech capital for the first game of their Playoff tie. Matthews was finally allowed to make his debut after 27 September 2015, the day which he turned 18 years of age.
“Obviously it's pretty cool to be able to play the best teams from the different leagues and I'll get a feel from all of Europe, so that's really cool and I'm looking forward to it,” Matthews said in an interview ahead of the Round of 32 clash.
Sparta Prague would go on to spoil Matthews’ CHL debut, taking a three-goal lead after just 26 minutes, through a brace from Jan Buchtele and a marker from Ryan Glenn.
The Lions got one back in the second frame thanks to Fabrice Herzog, before Kris Foucault found the twine in the third period, with an assist going to the US-born superstar.
The game finished 3-2, meaning that all was still to play for as the tie headed to Switzerland. However, Sparta goaltender Tomáš Pöpperle was in inspired form in Zurich, backstopping the Czech side to a 3-0 shutout, and thus bringing Matthews’ short CHL career to a close.
Known for his lethal shot, Matthews would go in to score a team-leading 24 regular season goals for Zurich in just 36 games. Optimism was high heading into the playoffs, although eight seed SC Bern pulled off a remarkable upset to dump Zurich out in the first round.
Matthews went on to be selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft. He won the Calder Cup as the league's best rookie in 2016/17 and is averaging just over a point per game through his first four seasons in the league.
In 2020/21, another projected first overall pick is expected to light up the CHL, as Kärpät Oulu’s Aatu Räty will look to stamp his mark on the competition. The league has also given a platform for 2020 NHL Draft prospects Tim Stützle (Adler Mannheim), Lucas Raymond (Frölunda Indians) and Alexander Holtz (Djurgården Stockholm) to shine.