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Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Issues Ultimatum on Questions About Mitch Marner

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened training camp midweek, and on Sunday, media members got to hear a clear message — in the shape of an ultimatum — from team captain Auston Matthews.

Matthews, entering his tenth season with the team, signaled a boundary with the media regarding off-ice storylines, mostly those related to former Maple Leafs player Mitch Marner.

The Leafs captain already addressed the departure of his longtime teammate, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in July as part of a sign-and-trade deal that saw him ink an eight-year, $96 million extension.

The move effectively ended Toronto’s “Core Four” era, and speaking again on Sunday while some of his teammates played the first game of Toronto's preseason, Matthews told reporters he's approaching the point where he will no longer entertain questions about the trade or his former linemate.

"You got two more weeks, and then we're done with these questions."

Auston Matthews puts a deadline on the Marner talk.

(HT @markhmasters) pic.twitter.com/vxaQwbPiYV
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 21, 2025

“You got two more weeks, and then we’re done with these questions,” Matthews said.

Although he was joking in delivering his answer at the end of the weekend, Matthews had already stressed the importance of moving forward for him and the rest of his teammates now that Marner is not part of the Leafs anymore.

“Obviously, at the end of the day, you’re teammates, you’re also friends, and he’ll be a friend of all of ours for life,” Matthews said. “But you just got to put your best foot forward.”

Head coach Craig Berube echoed that sentiment, noting that Toronto added Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli in the offseason.

“We lost a player, a real good player here,” Berube said. “But we added three to our lineup. What excites me is that I don’t have to hear ‘Core Four’ anymore.”

The Maple Leafs are coming off a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division, followed by a second-round playoff exit against eventual champions the Florida Panthers.

Matthews, who managed 78 points in 67 games last year while battling injuries, enters the new season healthier and with expectations of leading a deeper group further into the playoffs.

Toronto began preseason with a 4–3 win over the Ottawa Senators, getting goals from Calle Jarnkrok, William Villeneuve, Matthew Barbolini, and training-camp standout Nicholas Robertson.

The Leafs will continue camp with another matchup against Ottawa on Tuesday in Toronto.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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