Auston Matthews has officially joined the elite 400 club. The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar capped off a commanding 4-0 victory against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center, sealing the win with an empty-netter late in the game. In doing so, Matthews etched his name in the record books, becoming the sixth fastest player in NHL history to reach the 400-goal milestone. It took the 27-year-old sniper just 628 games, which is six games lower than the legendary Alex Ovechkin, who tallied his 400th in 634 games.
To put this achievement into perspective, only five players have achieved this feat quicker than Matthews: Wayne Gretzky (436 games), Mike Bossy (506), Mario Lemieux (508), Brett Hull (520), and Jari Kurri (608). It’s a remarkable accomplishment that underscores just how elite Matthews has been since entering the league.
After the game, Matthews reflected on reaching this milestone, acknowledging the support he’s received throughout the season. “It means a lot. Obviously, this group’s been really supportive all year. Individual awards are nice; I think it’s nice to check off certain things, obviously. But the focus is still on the team and doing what’s best for the team and continue to put our best foot forward here, one more game and then the postseason. So, we’ve just got to stay focused and stay dialed in mentally on our game and on the guys in this room,” he said.
With this latest achievement, Matthews becomes the 110th player in NHL history to score 400 goals, and only the 10th active player to do so. This season, he’s notched 32 goals in 66 games. His consistency is remarkable; he became the seventh player in league history to start his NHL career with nine consecutive 30-goal seasons after scoring his 30th in a 5-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Although this season may not have matched his previous scoring highs, Matthews remains one of the league’s premier scorers. In the 2023-24 season, he took the league by storm with a staggering 69 goals in 81 games, earning his third Rocket Richard Trophy in four seasons. Since breaking into the league in October 2016, Matthews has scored more goals than any player who has reached 400 in just 628 games. Notably, he also has the highest career goals-per-game rate among active players at 0.64 and ranks fifth in NHL history, trailing only Bossy (0.76), Lemieux (0.75), Cy Denneny (0.75), and Babe Dye (0.75).
As the focus now shifts to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, excitement is palpable among Leafs fans: the first Battle of Ontario since 2004 awaits. The 2024-25 season has been a tremendous ride for the Maple Leafs, boasting an impressive record of 51-26-4 through 81 games, clinching first place in the Atlantic Division.
Notably, this marks the first time Toronto has captured the division title since the 1999-2000 season—excluding the COVID-restricted 2020-21 campaign. In the first round of the postseason, the Leafs will face off against the Ottawa Senators, who have secured the top wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference after missing the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons.
For Matthews and the Leafs, this setup is particularly favorable. They’ll avoid the perennial playoff powerhouses in the Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers—teams that have represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final every year since 2019. With this solid regular-season performance and the chance to advance beyond the first round for the first time in Matthews’ career, the Maple Leafs are poised for an exciting postseason. It’s time for them to take the leap.
