Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews of San Ramon, California recorded his 14th National Hockey League hat trick. He accomplished the feat in a 6-5 Maple Leafs win over the Winnipeg Jets on New Year’s Day. The three goal game  at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario was Matthews’s first hat trick since February 17, 2024, almost two years ago.
Inside look at the hat trick
After the Jets took a 2-0 lead after the first period, the Maple Leafs went on the scoreboard at 1:34 of the second period thanks to Matthews’s 16th goal of the season. Max Domi of Winnipeg, Manitoba and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson of Karlskrona, Sweden had the assists. After the Jets went up 4-1, the Maple Leafs scored two late goals in the second period. After Ekman-Larsson pulled the Maple Leafs within two goals (4-2 Winnipeg), Matthews scored on the power-play with three seconds left in the second period to pull the Maple Leafs within two goals. Defenseman Morgan Rielly of North Vancouver, British Columbia and Matias Maccelli of Turku, Finland had the assists. Matthews then scored an unassisted game-winning goal with four minutes and 22 seconds left in the third period two break a 5-5 deadlock.
Matthews’s hat trick came on a giveaway by Jets backup goaltender Eric Comrie of Edmonton, Alberta. Comrie came out of his crease and tried to plays the puck, and gave the puck right to Matthews.
Matthews third most hat tricks in Maple Leafs history
All of Matthews’s 14 NHL hat tricks have come with the Maple Leafs, the franchise that drafted him first overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Matthews is now tied with Hall of Fame right winger Charlie Conacher of Toronto, Ontario for the third most hat tricks in Maple Leafs history. Fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler of Kitchener, Ontario is the Maple Leafs’s all-time leader in hat tricks with 18, and Hockey Hall of Famer Babe Dye is second on the list with 16.
Matthews in 2025-26
Matthews had 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points in 34 games. He is a +6 with 12 penalty minutes, seven power-play points, three game-winning goals, 133 shots on goal, 336 faceoff wins, 53 blocked shots, 19 hits, 15 takeaways, and 33 giveaways.
Two points out of a playoff spot
The Maple Leafs improve to a record of 19 wins, 15 regulation losses and six losses in extra time for 44 points. They are two points back of the Buffalo Sabres for a playoff spot.
