Auston Matthews ushered in a new era in 2016 when he scored four goals in his NHL debut. Will we ever see that again? Ozoon’s David Alter investiagates.
Ten years after his historic four-goal NHL debut, Auston Matthews looks back with gratitude and a clear-eyed view of how rare that night remains.
On October 12, 2016, a 19-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, announced himself to the league in unforgettable fashion. In his first NHL game, Matthews scored four goals against the Ottawa Senators in a 5-4 overtime loss at Canadian Tire Centre. He became the first player in modern NHL history to do so. A decade later, , the Maple Leafs captain reflected on the moment that launched everything.
“It’s definitely gone by really quick, but at the same time it feels like it wasn’t too long ago,” Matthews said. “I think you kind of look back, and I’m just fortunate to have the experience, the opportunities, and to be here today and just to continue the journey with a great group of guys. It’s been a lot of fun.”
He recalled the mix of excitement and nerves before the game, the chaos of his first goal off a Zach Hyman feed after Derick Brassard lifted his stick, the skill play on his second where he stripped Erik Karlsson and beat Craig Anderson five-hole, the hat-trick marker on a Morgan Rielly setup that led to an emotional celebration with his teammate, and the fourth on a two-on-one with William Nylander with three seconds left in the second period.
Rielly, who assisted on one of those goals and remains a close friend, remembered the surprise of the moment.
“You don’t expect that out of a young guy like that to come and do that. That’s a good way to enter the league.”
Jim Hiller, then an assistant coach and now the Leafs’ head coach, noted the broader context of a young core arriving together. “
There was a lot of different young players that were part of the kind of the new core coming up, Auston being obviously the highest profile at that time, being the first overall pick it was just really exciting.”
He specifically recalled the Nylander connection and Rielly’s pass, seeing early signs of what the group could become.
Matthews has lived up to the promise of that night and then some. He has developed into one of the league’s premier scorers, a captain, and the face of the franchise. This season he has already shown the same finishing ability, putting up 10 points (4-6) through six games, including two four-point nights, and earning NHL first-star-of-the-week honors. Teammates and coaches continue to speak of his elevated play and leadership.
Yet the specific achievement of four goals in a debut has not been repeated. No player has matched it in the intervening decade. Hat tricks in debuts remain rare; four goals is an outlier that required an exceptional blend of skill, opportunity, and fortune. The modern game features tighter defensive structures, more skilled goaltenders, and less open ice than even a decade ago. Rookies face intense scrutiny and often more cautious deployment.
Matthews himself has framed the night as special but not something he dwells on.
The Leafs lost that game in overtime when Kyle Turris scored, a detail that has not been forgotten by Ottawa fans. For Matthews and Toronto, though, the night set a foundation. Ten years on, with Matthews still producing at a high level and the franchise continuing to build around him, the debut stands as both a historic entry point and a reminder of how quickly time passes in a career.
At some point, I think we will see the feat again. The game is getting younger and faster. With an 84-game schedule and a shorter training camp, there is the potential for those first games to get a it sloppy from a defensive perspective. But for the time being, Matthews’4-goal night remains one of those magical moments that will stand up for a while.