Auston Matthews is envious of what Macklin Celebrini is set to experience during his rookie NHL season.
And no, it’s not what the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft will experience on the ice but rather what living with Sharks icon Joe Thornton will be like that is fueling the jealousy.
After all, the Toronto Maple Leafs star captain knows exactly what Celebrini can expect.
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“I’m kind of jealous,” Matthews told NHL.com.
In October 2020, after 15 memorable seasons with San Jose, Thornton, affectionately known as "Jumbo," signed with the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was forced to realign due to travel restrictions, creating a Canadian division.
It was then that Thornton, Matthews and teammate William Nylander decided to move in together for an initial two-week quarantine.
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“‘Jumbo’ got the master,” Matthews said. “We all had our own rooms. I was down in the basement. The rink was just, like, a two-second walk. It had a gymnastics area, a basketball court. We would play a basketball game, 2-on-2, to warm up, and then we’d get on the ice.
“Yeah, it was two weeks of just hanging out. Jumbo just made it, like, so fun because of who he is. It was our first interaction with him. Yeah, we had an unbelievable time. Those two weeks flew by.”
But the Matthews-Thornton housemate experience didn’t end there.
Following the two-week quarantine, Thornton moved into Matthews’ apartment as he waited for his family to make the move to Canada from the Bay Area.
The pair would go on to live together for another two weeks, extending the fun.
“It was awesome,” Matthews added. “It was so fun. We’d just watch sports, hang out. But like, he always had to be doing something, so if we were on the couch for a little bit, he’s like, ‘All right, let’s go for a rollerblade.’ We’d strap on our rollerblades and go wheel around.
“He’s definitely a lot of fun to hang out with. I remember I went to my room, and I had to make a phone call. I came back, and he had his hockey skates on in the house, and he had them all taped up. He was just, like, breaking them in. He was walking around the house in hockey skates. No shirt.
“My dog was there, and he was hanging out with my dog. I’m like, ‘This is so good.’”
From Celebrini’s draft announcement in June in Las Vegas to development camp, Thornton and the Sharks’ teen phenom have had opportunities to get to know one another over the offseason.
But perhaps nothing is going to prepare Celebrini for what he will experience living with the Sharks legend and former No. 1 overall draft pick.
“As far as what he can expect, it’s going to be so much fun,” Matthews concluded. “He wakes up every day -- no coffee, so much energy. There’s no bad days in his life. He brings it every day, and it’s just so fun to be around.
“I think he’s going to really enjoy it. Living with him, I’m sure he’s going to learn a lot. Jumbo’s great as far as just, like, supporting people and keeping things light. He’s going to really enjoy it.”
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