Searching for a spark to snap a three-game losing streak, the Maple Leafs are reuniting stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander as the reality of a ten-year playoff streak being broken begins to loom.

Auston Matthews received a standing ovation from Toronto fans in his first home game since winning Olympic gold for Team USA against Canada in Milan.

Former ESPN host Keith Olbermann called his former “SportsCenter” colleague Linda Cohn a “self-obsessed politically motivated clown” following her remarks about Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews visiting the White House after Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Toronto Maple Leafs did as millions of North Americans did Sunday morning: They watched Canada play the United States in the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game. The Leafs had a practice set to begin in a few hours, but one by one, most of the team gathered around a screen at their practice facility. They had national and personal allegiances.

Toronto Maple Leafs fans in Canada are not happy about their American captain Auston Matthews possibly missing his NHL return.

For the first time in his career, Auston Matthews is reportedly no longer considered untouchable at the NHL trade deadline. While Toronto isn’t shopping him, teams are preparing offers and there has already been back-and-forth discussion.

Did Team USA hockey captain Auston Matthews go off the rails during a postgame interview, slamming Canada? No, that's not true: Video of Matthews' interview after the Feb. 22, 2026, Olympic gold medal game shows that he never called

Auston Matthews is back in Toronto, and the mood has shifted fast. One week he was lifting Olympic gold in Milan. Now he is staring at a standings boa.