Report: Auston Matthews signs in Switzerland (updated with claim disputed)

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. Unfortunately, this may not be the Mother’s Day gift Silvertips fans were looking for.

Swiss newspaper Blick reported Sunday that Silvertips super prospect Auston Matthews will play in Switzerland next season, signing a contract with Zurich-based ZSC Lions of the professional National League A.

It broke the previous day that the 17-year-old Matthews, the presumptive first-overall pick in the 2016 NHL draft and a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft by Everett, was considering playing professionally in Switzerland next season. It had been believed Matthews was deciding between playing for Everett or an NCAA school. However, his incredible season that saw him set a new single-season scoring record for the U.S. NTDP, dominate the U-18 World Championships, then become the first player ever to play for the U.S. men’s team before he was even NHL draft eligible, seems to have caught the eye of the European pro ranks.

If this comes to fruition it’s a trail-blazing move by Matthews. Never before has a North American player decided to play his draft season professionally in Europe.

The potential positives for Matthews would be that he would earn a salary (reportedly around $500,000), something he wouldn’t do in either the WHL or the NCAA. He’d also be playing against adult competition in Switzerland, and he’d be able to play in the AHL as a 19-year-old should his NHL team choose.

The risks include having to adjust to a foreign country at 18 years old while being thrust thrust straight into a 100-percent adult environment. And if he were to struggle at all, there’s the chance it could hurt his draft stock.

But should Matthews go to Switzerland, and should he have success, it could start a trend of elite young players heading overseas.

Unfortunately, Mother’s Day commitments mean I can’t chase this story any further today, but I’m sure there will be much more on this over the next 24 hours.

—- UPDATED 11:15 a.m.

There are a couple North American sources that are now disputing that Matthews has actually signed with ZSC Lions, including NHL.com which quotes Matthews, though they say Switzerland is still an option. So once again, stay tuned.