Matthews stayed in Arizona through his 2012-13 season with the 16-and-under Arizona Bobcats before he jumped to the United States National Team Development Program. He eventually got selected first overall by Toronto in the 2016 NHL Draft and burst into the first full-fledged star from the state.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs journeyed into the Delta Center as visitors for the first time since the Coyotes relocated to Utah, Matthews felt conflicted about experiencing NHL hockey in a new city.

"This time of year, you see teams adding and you want to add as well," Matthews said before an ugly 5-2 loss to the Golden Knights.