Auston Matthews Signs in Swiss League For Draft Year
By Max Marko
Auston Matthews #34 of Team United States celebrates his goal with teammates during the 2015 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship game against Team Germany at the Bell Centre on December 28, 2014 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Dec. 27, 2014 –
Source: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images North America
2016 NHL Draft eligible Auston Matthews has signed with ZSC Lions in Switzerland. Matthews is expected to be the 1st overall selection in the NHL Draft come June 2016. The club broke the news over Twitter on Friday morning.
Guess who's coming to Zurich? #greatnews @A_Matthews34 pic.twitter.com/xdDwnq3Ii4
— ZSC Lions (@zsclions) August 7, 2015
Matthews was rumored to be headed to Switzerland or the WHL for the past few weeks. The NCAA option had been discarded for a while. As Mike McMahon of College Hockey News pointed out on Twitter, it would be almost a waste of time.
Matthews signing with Zurich makes perfect sense for him. He'd be a 1-year NCAA player. WHL would be no competition for him. Smart.
— Mike McMahon (@MikeMcMahonCHN) August 7, 2015
In Switzerland, Matthews has the highest competition by being able to play with and against mature adults past the age of college students.
This also brings up the question if other draft-eligible prospects will be tempted to follow Matthews across the pond. With players, like Chad Krys, who have yet to commit to a destination, is it possible they head for Europe?
Keep up with Frozen Futures for the latest news on NHL prospects and NHL Draft prospects.