Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews just surprised locals at Toronto outdoor rink

There are over 50 outdoor rinks in Toronto. What are the odds that you'll see a Maple Leafs player skating at one near you?

On Thursday night, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs were in Philadelphia, gutting out a 2-1 overtime win on the road. The next day, the Maple Leafs superstar was back in Toronto, where he was spotted going for a quick skate at one of the city's outdoor rinks.

A local Facebook user posted a picture of her son posing next to Matthews outside of Greenwood Rink.

Elaine C Gauthier/Facebook

Some Facebook commenters asked why Matthews was at the rink, but Gauthier explained that the 28-year-old star was "just skating."

She also added that her son said the Leafs' captain was "really nice."

Greenwood Rink opened up back in 2013, becoming the city's first covered outdoor rink. The adjacent Greenwood Park also features a popular 215-metre-long outdoor skating path.

But for locals who frequent the area, they probably don't expect to run into an NHL superstar while out for a skate.

Matthews certainly had plenty of local options for an outdoor skate in Toronto, especially considering that his teammate, John Tavares, has a private outdoor rink in his backyard.

The Leafs' all-time leading goal scorer isn't the only Toronto player who's recently been spotted at a local rink. During the Christmas break in 2024, William Nylander's sister posted photos of their family skating at an unnamed rink in the city.

Matthews and the Leafs are back in action on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre as they take on the floundering Vancouver Canucks.

The Leafs captain will look to stay hot with six goals and eight points in his last five games.