The wait is over for Auston Matthews and maybe the weight will be off other Maple Leafs to get some 5-on-5 goals.
Matthews told reporters in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday that he intends to play Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It would end a frustrating month for the team captain and last year’s NHL goals leader after a training-camp injury affecting his upper body took him out of the lineup Nov. 3.
The path to recovery took him to see a specialist in Munich, Germany, followed by nearly a week of workouts at home and Friday’s second full team practice.
“In my mind I’m back and excited to play tomorrow,” Matthews said.
Without him the Leafs won seven and lost two, but struggled to generate offence at even strength. Winger Matthew Knies (upper body) could also be back.
On Thursday, the Toronto Sun‘s Steve Simmons revealed several details about Matthews’ trip to Germany.
Matthews apparently visited a superstar sports medicine physician, two former National Hockey League players have confirmed.
The physician, Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, is internationally recognized for his work with big-name athletes and has a celebrity patient list that includes eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, superstar singers Bono and Luciani Pavararotti, and former big-name athletes such as Boris Becker, Maurice Greene, Vitali Klitschko and Franz Beckenbauer.
Most recently, the doctor treated San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey for his Achilles injury at his clinic.
Apparently, people travel from all over the world to meet with the 82-year-old Muller-Wollfahrt, the former team physician for the famed soccer club, Bayern Munich, as Matthews did on this recent occasion.
He went accompanied by Leafs team physician, Dr. Noah Forman. Muller-Wohlfahrt also was Germany’s national soccer team doctor for 13 years.