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.

The Utah Hockey Club (28-26-9) returns to Delta Center for a two-game homestand, beginning tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs (38-22-3). Utah has earned points in five of its last six games and is 4-1-1 in that stretch. The team is currently just four points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

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.