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Auston Matthews gets standing ovation from Toronto fans after gold medal win

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Team USA men’s hockey captain returned to his home ice in the NHL – ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto – and the Canadian faithful could’ve made it a lot worse on him during his homecoming. 

Matthews, who helped Team USA beat beat Canada in the gold-medal game, knew he would be returning north of the border at some point to continue his 2025-26 NHL season. But the recognition he got was surprisingly positive despite him being a part of the team that upset Canada in Milan. 

During a stoppage in play against the Ottawa Senators, led by Matthews’ U.S. teammate Brady Tkachuk, the Maple Leafs gave recognition to the three players on their team who represented their countries in the Milan Cortina Games. 

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Auston Matthews skates in warm ups

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up before facing the Ottawa Senators at the Scotiabank Arena on February 28, 2026 in Toronto. (Mark Blinch/NHLI)

After introducing Swedish stars William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the arena PA announcer introduced the Leafs’ “gold medalist” captain in Matthews, who received some jeers initially. 

Then, the whole arena rose to give Matthews a standing ovation as he was called out by the announcer. So, instead of ripping into Matthews for what happened overseas, the fans gave their veteran captain a round of applause before play resumed. 

The TSN broadcast also showed Tkachuk on his Senators bench, looking up at the video board and smiling as Matthews was called. 

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Auston Matthews celebrates goal

United States’ Auston Matthews, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s fifth goal during a preliminary round game of men’s ice hockey between the United States and Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Mathews was among the Team USA stars to visit President Donald Trump and the White House ahead of his State of the Union address, which triggered significant backlash and criticism. 

Players stood their ground, pointing to their American pride as to why they decided to take the Air Force jet to the White House following their historic win over Canada. 

And before returning to his Canadian home ice, Matthews and the Maple Leafs were in Tampa Bay facing the Lightning, where fans at Amalie Arena gave the visitor a loud reaction. A short ovation from Lightning fans also rained down on the ice for him. 

While Matthews has enjoyed winning his gold medal, it’s been a rough go for Toronto this season. They sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 27-24-9 record (63 points), where they’ve now lost three games in a row after the 5-2 defeat to the Senators. 

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Auston Matthews skates on ice

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Scotiabank Arena on March 1, 2026 in Toronto. (Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

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Matthews tallied an assist in the loss, while Tkachuk did the same for his winning squad. Nylander scored one of the Maple Leafs’ two goals. 

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LeBron James’ Wife Savannah James Confirms She’s Not Okay With Zhuri James Also Taking Up Basketball

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Savannah James has had enough basketball players in the family. LeBron James‘ wife confirmed that she doesn’t want their daughter Zhuri to take the same path as her father and brothers. The proud mother of three would love to see Zhuri become a volleyball player instead.

In a post on her Instagram stories, Savannah shared a reel of Zhuri playing volleyball. She was sitting courtside as her daughter played at the City Volleyball Club in Southern California.

“Yeah, it’s a no,” Savannah wrote. “We’ll be over here (volleyball emoji).”

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Savannah James shared this on her Instagram stories - (Image via Instagram/@mrs_savannahrj)Savannah James shared this on her Instagram stories - (Image via Instagram/@mrs_savannahrj)
Savannah James shared this on her Instagram stories – (Image via Instagram/@mrs_savannahrj)

At 11 years old, Zhuri has been playing volleyball since she was little. LeBron and Savannah have been very supportive of her love for the sport. However, it’ll likely come down to Zhuri if she wants to pursue it professionally or shift to basketball.

Zhuri isn’t the only daughter of a superstar NBA player who is playing volleyball at a young age. Steph Curry‘s eldest daughter, Riley Curry, is a player for the Academy 11 National Team in Northern California.


LeBron confirms Savannah James’ plans for Zhuri

Zhuri James has gone viral over the past week as she accompanied LeBron for the LA Lakers‘ trip to San Francisco. Zhuri showed her handles during her father’s pregame routine against the Golden State Warriors. She even threw an alley-oop pass to the delight of the crowd.

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Speaking to reporters after the game, “The King” confirmed that Savannah James doesn’t want their daughter to play basketball professionally. Savannah is good with just her husband and two sons and would rather see Zhuri excel in volleyball.

“She’s a volleyball player,” James said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Don’t get my wife mad. My wife is done with this basketball sh*t. She’s done with it. She’s a volleyball player.”

Despite Savannah’s decision, LeBron managed to sneak in some compliments about Zhuri’s growing basketball skills.

“She’s been around the game for a while, so she does got good handles. She got a good (shooting) form, too. But my wife ain’t playing that. Not another one. She said that’s it, that’s it.”

LeBron has been playing basketball for the majority of his life. He’s in his record-breaking 23rd NBA season and will likely play another year. Bronny James is in his second season in the league, while Bryce James is in his freshman campaign at Arizona.