toronto maple leafs team leader Auston Matthews Leading Team USA to the 2026 Olympic Games in Cortina, Milan. However, it will not be an easy task for him to lead the country on such a global stage, as Matthews will be under tremendous pressure.

Bryan Hayes has warned in an interview with Jay Onrait that Auston Matthews needs to change his reputation of not being a key player in order to succeed in the game.

Hayes said:

“When you look at Auston Matthews, his reputation is that of a non-clutch guy. It’s on Matthews to prove that’s not his reputation starting today and moving forward. Matthews has two weeks to change his overall reputation in the hockey community.”

Auston Matthews and Team USA will take to the ice on Thursday for their Olympic opener against Latvia.

Auston Matthews talks about his approach to leading teams

In a recent interview, Matthews emphasized that with so many experienced leaders on the team, his approach remains the same, focusing on leading by example without feeling the need for additional responsibilities beyond that.

“I think we have a room full of leaders, a room full of captains of their respective NHL teams. You know, for me, I don’t think anything has really changed,” Matthew told Olympics.com after practice Wednesday afternoon.

He added:

“There might be some logistics that you have to deal with here and there, but honestly, you know, just trying to lead by example and do all the right things on and off the ice and stuff like that.”

Matthews has played 51 games this season, scoring 26 goals, contributing 48 points and 22 assists.