Auston Matthews talks Arizona summers, Sun Devil ad, Coyotes owner, Leafs captaincy, Mitch Marner

Auston Matthews has been taking part in the Coyotes’ informal skates at the Ice Den Scottsdale for the past few weeks – an annual occurrence for the Maple Leafs center, who was raised in Scottsdale and grew up rooting for Shane Doan, Daniel Briere and the Valley’s 23-year-old NHL team.

With training camp three weeks away, we sat down with Matthews after practice on Thursday to discuss a variety of topics.

What does it mean to you to come back home in the summer?

I love it. It’s fun just to get away and spend time with family and friends. Luckily, they’ve got a couple guys here that I played with in the past that I spend quite a bit of time with to skate and train. I played with (Clayton Keller) and (Christian Fischer) at NTP (United States National Team) and we’re still pretty tight and talk quite a bit even throughout the season. It’s nice and relaxing to come home and get your mind away from hockey for a bit and just re-energize. And I don’t have to talk to media every day, which is nice. There aren’t 30 of them waiting out there.

What do you do with Keller, Fischer and other friends in Arizona when you’re not skating or training?

I love to golf. We just played (Phil Mickelson designed) Whisper Rock, but it’s hot, right, so a lot of the time you just lay by the pool and enjoy life. I’ve got a putting green set up in my backyard so I’ve been trying to work on my game. The days aren’t too crazy. All my buddies are here so we go work out, golf and then relax and cook dinner.

Do you try and golf early when it’s not too hot?

I actually don’t mind getting out in the heat earlier in the summer. In June, it’s not bad. I got back home in May and the weather is still solid then. By the time July comes, it’s painful to get out there so you go from playing four or five times a week to maybe two or three. I played yesterday and now I’ve got a farmers tan. I went on vacation and got a nice tan and I go golf once and I’ve got the farmer’s tan again. Now I’ve got to go lay by the pool and balance that out.

You recently collaborated with Arizona State University’s hockey team to promote its gold heritage jersey by Adidas. How did that ad, which just debuted, materialize?

I’ve skated at Oceanside the past two summers and gotten to know everyone connected with the ASU program. It’s just a class act the whole way through. Guys like (equipment manager) Jon Laughner and coach Greg Powers, they truly take care of me and the rest of the boys who come in to skate during the summer. With regards to the commercial, one thing led to another and I loved the concept. My little sister (Breyana) will be playing golf there (beginning in 2020-21), so to be able to give back to ASU hockey, to support ASU, and to support my home state in general was a cool opportunity.

Are you an ASU fan and what do you make of this upstart DI program?

I’m a huge ASU fan and love what they are doing to grow the game in Arizona. Once their new arena is completed, I think recruiting will shift even more in their favor.

Did you get to keep the jersey?

I absolutely got to keep it. I love the design. I’m sure that will get worn a few times in Toronto by someone in the family.

What are your thoughts on new Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo, the first Latino majority owner in the NHL?

I’ve heard a lot of really good things about him. I read some of his quotes from his (news conference). He seems like a really passionate guy who really wants to turn around this organization and take a couple steps forward. That’s all you can ask for from an owner. Speaking for myself in Toronto with (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chairman) Larry Tanenbaum, he is unbelievably supportive of the team and he’s got not only us but the Raptors and TFC (Toronto Football Club). The trust that he puts into the team and staff gives you the confidence to go out there and perform. Obviously, how I got into hockey was growing up here and going to Coyotes games. It’s the team I rooted for growing up, so to see the direction they’re going with this new owner, it reflects positively on him and this organization. Selfishly, I want to see them do well, figure out the whole rink situation and I still root for them except when they’re playing Toronto. I want to see them be successful and grow the game even more throughout this state because it’s an amazing place to live and play hockey.

Your mom is originally from Hermosillo, Mexico (six hours south of Phoenix). Does Meruelo’s Latino ethnicity matter to you?

Yeah, definitely. I’m proud of who I am, where I come from, my ancestry and my background. Him coming from that Cuban background is kind of a milestone for the NHL, and obviously, there are lot of Hispanic people in Arizona (31 percent).

There has been talk that the Maple Leafs might name a captain for the first time since Dion Phaneuf was traded to Ottawa on Feb. 9, 2016. Your name has been mentioned among the candidates. What would being captain mean to you?

The captaincy in hockey in general is a huge honor, but especially in Toronto. You see the names of the guys that have come before you. We have all the captains banners lined up for us in our practice rink. You know the names, what they brought to the team, their competitiveness, what they did throughout the community, so it’s a bit of a bigger honor, in my opinion, to bestow that in Toronto. Whether it’s me or it’s someone else, it comes with a lot of responsibility, but whether I get it or not, I feel comfortable regardless. We’ve got a lot of good candidates, guys that have been in the league for a while, guys that have been captains before like John Tavares, and guys that have worn letters for quite some time. I’m going into my fourth year in this league and fourth year in this organization. Every year, I think I have grown more as a person and as a player. I have more of a voice in the locker room and sometimes guys look up to me for my opinion. You can always take a step forward, and that area, leadership, is an area where I want to take a step forward and I think the staff and organization wants that, too. But whether I wear a letter – whether it’s a C or an A or nothing — I don’t think it will change what I do, what I’m like, my personality and how I approach the game.

Would it be odd to earn the captaincy over veterans such as Tavares, who was captain of the New York Islanders for five seasons before coming to Toronto?

I don’t think it would be awkward. Everybody has the same goal in mind. Everybody wants to contribute in their own way and do what’s best for the team. When somebody is ready, (GM) Kyle (Dubas) and the staff will make a good choice. No matter who it is, you move forward, do your thing and put in the work.

Have you set personal goals for this season?

I don’t really like to share my goals in public, but the past two years, I’ve been battling injuries so staying healthy is the big thing for me. All three years, I’ve gotten off to hot starts and then been derailed a bit by injuries so I’ve been working on different things in the gym, flexibility, trying to stay as healthy as I can throughout the season and doing everything I can to get my body in the best shape possible and play all 82 game, contribute every night and help the team win.

With restricted free agent Mitch Marner’s contract talks stalled, multiple outlets have reported that Marner’s camp has contacted the Zurich Lions of the Swiss League about practicing with that club and the club has confirmed it. Having played for Zurich yourself in 2015-16, have you talked to Marner about the Lions?

I loved my time in Zurich. It’s an amazing place to play and live, but he didn’t reach out to me about that. We’ve talked quite a bit this summer and I don’t think we’ve talked once about his contract. The last time we talked it was actually about our fantasy football team this year. If he wants advice, Willie (Nylander) is probably a good guy to talk to because he went through it last season (signed in December). I’m sure they have probably chatted about their similar situations. I signed halfway through the season last year, so it’s different. I’m not really too worried about it. I don’t know what’s going to happen because I’m not in those conversations but I’m sure (Dubas) and his whole team will figure that whole thing out. They find a way to work themselves out. They always do. Obviously, I hope for the best. He’s a big part of the team. You hope to have him there as soon as possible. He’s an amazing player, an amazing teammate and a good friend, but it’s really none of my business. When it gets done, you just hope it gets done as smooth as possible and then you just go from there.