The top prospect of the 2016 NHL draft is Arizona native Auston Matthews. He is projected to go number one overall next year.
He is also about to break some new ground. Instead of playing major junior hockey in Canada or going to college he is going to head over to Europe to play professionally.
Rumor has it he will be signing a contract with the ZSC Lions who are based in Zurich, Switzerland. I think this is a terrific move.
For a player of Matthew's caliber you can afford to take more risks in your development because at the end of the day talent that good will shine through. Matthews doesn't need to pander to scouts because he is already the top ranked player for 2016
By passing up playing major junior hockey in Canada he will also bypass the idiotic CHL transfer agreement which forbid a player to play in the AHL until they are no longer junior age eligible. This dated rule has impacted such players as Mikhail Grigorenko, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and Leon Draisaitl in recent years. Players who are not yet good enough for the NHL, but certainly no longer junior players. There is no logical reason why top prospects can't play in the AHL. Rules should be in place to help encourage development, not artificially prop up talent levels for junior hockey.
Auston Matthews may never need a stint with the AHL, but by going to Europe he keeps that door open. Always leave yourself options and Matthews is.
By passing up college he will get to play in more games over in Europe while also playing against older competition. He was never going to be a four year college player so the education side of things was minimal to begin with.
Some people will have reservations about "fitting in" over in Europe. "He doesn't know the culture". This is a weak argument as many players come over from Europe to play in North America at the same age. Furthermore English is widely spoken in Europe. I spent two weeks in Italy for my honeymoon and on only one occasion did not knowing Italian make things a little more difficult.
A bonus of playing in Switzerland is that all the games are within a few hours of one another and teams return to their home city after each game. You can sleep in your own bed every night. It is why a lot of NHL players chose Switzerland during the last lockout.
Last and certainly not least, he can make money playing hockey! Something he can't do in junior hockey or in college.
When you add it all up there are many variables to like about this decision.
Young American kid gets to experience Europe playing professional hockey at 18 years old and then come back to be drafted #1 overall. Sounds pretty awesome to me.
Best wishes and good luck.
****
Another cool thing about Auston Matthews is his place of birth. He is a native of Scottsdale, Arizona and he was born in 1997. The Phoenix Coyotes set up shop for the first time in the desert for the 1996-97 season.
Auston Matthews is surely a product of Gary Bettman's southern expansion. We are starting to see more and more high end players coming from non-traditional markets in the United States. More kids have been exposed to the game of hockey because of that expansion and as a result we are seeing more high end athletes taking up the sport. This is a good thing.
****
Happy Mother's Day.
Special thanks to my Mom who always supported my love of hockey. My Dad coached my two younger brothers while my Mom was stuck driving me to Buffalo, Toronto, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland every other weekend.
It isn't only the time put in but the money as well. I can't tell you how many of these that she bought for me.
****
Latest Hockey Hurts podcast is up. Topics include the entertainment value of the NHL playoffs, Mike Babcock, and the Ray Shero hire. You can find the podcast
here
Thanks for reading!
Follow me on twitter
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»