Auston Matthews leaves Leafs practice because he 'wasn't feeling great'

Jan 21 2021, 8:25 pm

Auston Matthews appeared to be ready for practice today, but then left early, according to the media on hand.

What appears to be bothering the Toronto Maple Leafs star player is unclear, and his status for tomorrow’s home game against the Edmonton Oilers is up in the air.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe met with the media after practice, but would only say that Matthews wasn’t feeling well.

“He just wasn’t feeling that great today coming off the game yesterday,” said Keefe. “He’s just going to take the rest of the day and see how he is for tomorrow.”

Matthews received 24:14 of ice time in last night’s loss to the Oilers, so a day off would be understandable. “Maintenance days” are not unusual for NHL players, though that almost always involves the player staying off the ice completely. Suiting up and leaving before practice begins is not something that happens very often.

If Matthews is unable to play, the Leafs will be without two members of their first line, as Joe Thornton is currently out with an injury.

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