McDavid, Matthews, Laine revelling in first all-star weekend experience
LOS ANGELES — Auston Matthews looked more like a movie star as he ambled through a hotel lobby just south of Hollywood on Saturday evening, swarmed by a crowd of autograph seeking fans.
The Toronto Maple Leafs centre certainly looked nothing like the first-time all-star he is, but someone who’d been on the big stage for some time. If on-ice performance wasn’t enough in the first half this season, Matthews’ arrival in Los Angeles for all-star weekend, alongside fellow young stars Connor McDavid and Patrik Laine, certainly punctuated that fact home.
“It’s exciting to be here with them,” said Matthews, who leads all rookies with 23 goals this season. “We’re all kind of going through our first all-star game (together) so hopefully it’s not the last one.”
The three youngest players on hand in LA have been revelling in their first all-star experiences.