Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies spoke about Matthew Mayich, and the Toronto Maple Leafs made sure his family knew they weren't alone.
Mayich was hospitalized following an off-ice training incident in Arizona. He remains in the hospital as he continues his recovery.
During their trip to Arizona, the Maple Leafs visited Mayich and his family at the hospital. Players also wore hats and T-shirts to the rink in support.
For Knies, it landed close to home. The Leafs forward was born in Phoenix and knows the area well.
"Obviously devastating," Knies said. "You never want to hear about anybody, and yeah, it felt close to home for me because I'm from here."
"I'm just really sad," he added. "I'm praying for the family, and, you know, all of Toronto is behind them."
Auston Matthews says the support for Matthew Mayich reaches far beyond hockey
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Matthews has his own ties to the area. The captain spends his summers there, skating and training.
"You obviously hear about the tragic news, and, you know, it's pretty emotional," Matthews said.
He pointed to something bigger than the sport. "The hockey community itself is extremely tight-knit," he said, but the love is also coming "from people that aren't even involved in hockey."
Those are people who "have heard the story and just want to offer their love, their support, prayers, and all that," he added.
What do you say to a family in a moment like that? The Leafs simply wanted them to know "we're sending our thoughts, our prayers, and our support."
This matters more than any preseason result. Showing up in person during a trip, rather than just issuing a statement, says a lot about that room.
Hockey can feel as big as a continent and as small as a rink parking lot on a Saturday morning. Moments like this remind everyone which one is real.
The captain said it was the approach "all of us wanted to take in coming here and knowing what the situation was."
The Maple Leafs open the regular season Tuesday at home against Montreal. The hats may come off by then, but the message won't fade that fast.
Mayich's recovery continues. For his family, knowing an entire city is in their corner won't fix everything, but it's a start.
Should the Maple Leafs honor Matthew Mayich on opening night against Montreal?
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