Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews was named captain of Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL announced on Thursday. Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin met with Matthews and Brad Treliving during the morning skate on Wednesday prior to the clash between the two teams at Scotiabank Arena.

Among the NHL teammates who will be on opposite benches during the 4-Nations Face-Off include Toronto Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Matthews, who grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., will be representing the USA while Nylander will be representing his native Sweden.

Jared Spurgeon and Marat Khusnutdinov scored in the first period, Filip Gustavsson stopped 31 shots, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1.

There was much speculation about Auston Matthews ' non-participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Toronto Maple Leafs captain has been confirmed to feature for Team USA after a meeting with Team USA General Manager Bill Guerin ahead of their game against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews didn’t hold back his frustration with the Scotiabank Arena crowd following Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthews' comments came within the context of a fight between Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves and Columbus' Mathieu Olivier.

TORONTO -- Auston Matthews scored for the fourth straight game and had an assist for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. The goal was Matthews’ eighth in nine games since his return after missing the previous six because of an upper-body injury.

Auston Matthews was named captain of Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday. The 27-year-old center is in his first season as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 4 Nations Face-Off will be the first time Matthews will represent the United States since joining the NHL for the 2016-17 season.

Auston Matthews will lead a new generation of American stars at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Toronto Maple Leafs captain will wear the ‘C’ for the United States at the upcoming best-on-best tournament.

Auston Matthews will head the United States’ leadership group at the 4 Nations Face-Off. USA Hockey announced on Thursday afternoon that the Maple Leafs captain will be its captain for the event in Montreal and Boston,

Matthews has looked closer to himself since returning to game action on January 4 against the Boston Bruins – his second full comeback of the season. In the 11 games back in the lineup, Matthews has recorded at least a point in nine of those appearances – registering nine goals and six assists for a 15-point total.

Finland, Sweden, the United States, and Canada will reveal their captains for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February on Thursday.