Auston Matthews plays a sport you don’t usually associate with flashy gold jewelry. Hockey, a notoriously cold game in more ways than one, is often defined by its stolid professionalism, from players wearing suits to every game to the endless “just gotta get pucks deep” soundbites that prioritize the team over the individual.
It’s notable, then, when a player brings a bit of panache to the ice. Matthews—one of the biggest stars in the NHL, and the face of one of the league’s most visible teams—made a golden statement on Monday night as his Toronto Maple Leafs faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning. During an idle moment on the bench, the camera lingered on Matthews, who was wearing a gold chain with a pendant that read “Papi.”
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Papi is one of many popular nicknames for Matthews, whose mother is Mexican. (One of the other fun monikers listed on Matthews’ Hockey Reference page is Big Cactus, a nod to him growing up in Arizona.) As the broadcast crew for Monday’s game exalted Matthews’ well-rounded performance, they also couldn’t help but be gleefully distracted by the chain, which Matthews has worn multiple times. There is perhaps no better encapsulation of Matthews’ whole deal than this 34-second clip. He’s got a sick nickname and an even sicker command of his sport.
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