Auston Matthews gets to experience another first — playing outdoors

TORONTO — The opportunity of waking up on a bone-chilling morning, going outside, lacing up your skates and playing hockey until you couldn’t see the puck anymore has eluded Toronto center Auston Matthews.

Not that he didn’t want to. But where are you going to find a frozen lake or a backyard rink in Scottsdale, Arizona?

On Sunday, Matthews, selected No. 1 overall in last year’s NHL Entry Draft, gets to experience as a young adult what tens of thousands of kids around the world take for granted. He’ll finally play outside when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL Centennial Classic (12:05 p.m., KSNV-3).

It’ll be colder than any other game he plays this season. The game-time temperature is expected to be around 34 degrees. And as the sun sets over Exhibition Stadium, the thermometer will drop into the 20s.

Toronto (16-12-7) has won four in a row and five of six. Matthews has a team-leading 18 goals and 30 points and leads all NHL rookies in scoring.

“It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it,” Matthews said after the Leafs’ practice Saturday morning. “I’ve skated outdoors before, but never played a game outside.

“It’s going to be a fun experience. But there’s also two points both teams are trying to get, so in that respect, it’s much like any other game.”

Coming from a nontraditional hockey market, Matthews has quickly become a role model for other warm-weather cities to produce their version. He believes Las Vegas will have the same opportunity to grow the game through youth and high school hockey, as he experienced in the Phoenix area.

“They’re already off to a good start,” he said of Las Vegas. “I remember playing tons of tournaments there in bantam and midget, and I played with guys from Vegas (in Scottsdale). Now that they have their own NHL team, it’s going to encourage a lot of kids to pick up a stick and play.”

For Matthews, who had four goals in his debut against Ottawa on Oct. 12, his growth has come away from the puck. He’s improved defensively in the three months he’s been in the NHL, and it’s helped his offense.

“It’s tough at first learning playing away from the puck,” he said. “It’s something the coaching staff has worked with me a lot on.

“But I feel comfortable out there playing against any line. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said he loves Matthews’ work ethic and how he has learned quickly while playing at the sport’s highest level.

“He wants to be great,” Babcock said. “He’s getting better without the puck. It doesn’t matter who you play him against, he’s going to compete.

“We’d like to see him better inside the circle and improve on his faceoffs and continue to improve defensively. But he’s only going to get better.”

Matthews said he won’t try to overdo it in his first game outside. He knows it won’t be a controlled environment that he is accustomed to.

“I think it’s just go out and enjoy it,” Matthews said. “You don’t know what to expect with the weather or with the ice. But just try and keep things simple and have fun and enjoy the atmosphere.”

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.