EVERETT — It’s official: Auston Matthews is not coming to the Pacific Northwest.
For real, this time.
Matthews, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2016 National Hockey League Draft, will spend his draft-eligible season playing for the ZSC Lions in Zurich, Switzerland instead of joining Everett, which selected Matthews in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft (57th overall).
The decision ends a months-long saga regarding where Matthews would end up. Matthews, a 17-year-old center from Scottsdale, Arizona, just completed a record-breaking two-year run with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He eclipsed NHL star Patrick Kane’s single-season scoring record netting 55 goals and 116 points in 60 games this season. Matthews was named the MVP of the U-18 World Championships after leading the United States to the gold medal.
“Obviously we’re disappointed, as a player of Auston’s caliber would have been an outstanding addition to our program for the upcoming season,” Silvertips general manager Garry Davidson said in a statement. “Auston and his family have had nothing but positive things to say about our organization and our coaching staff throughout this process, and we’re confident that he would be a Silvertip this year if an unprecedented opportunity to play pro hockey overseas had not presented itself. I’d like to wish him the best of luck going forward in his career.”
The Lions, Matthews’ new team, tweeted out the news to their fans Friday morning.
“Guess who’s coming to Zurich? #greatnews,” ZSC tweeted with a picture of Auston Matthews and his Twitter handle.
Matthews missed the 2015 draft-age cutoff by two days, creating a unique situation for the 6-foot-2 playmaker born on September 17, 1997. Matthews could commit to the Silvertips or play in the NCAA. The Tips seemed to have the advantage as Matthews would have to accelerate his schooling to begin at an NCAA college in the fall.
However, after his strong performance at the U-18 World Championships in Switzerland, several professional Swiss teams approached Matthews about playing there. It is rare for a North-American-born prospect to spend a draft-eligible season in Europe, with the transfer usually the other way around.
In order for an American to play professional hockey in Switzerland he must have a year of professional experience to qualify for a work permit. Matthews didn’t have that experience, which initially held up his plan to play for ZSC.
According to a news release from his new team, Matthews has a one-year contract with ZSC and has a residence permit authorized under a bilateral agreement between the United States and Switzerland governments. The permit is not valid until Matthews’ 18th birthday.
Playing for ZSC affords Matthews stronger competition against seasoned professional hockey players in the Swiss National League A. Matthews will also get paid a professional salary, compared to the weekly stipend Western Hockey League players get.
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