Mike Babcock is a passionate coach, and a pretty straightforward, stern individual. However, when his Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2016 draft lottery for the rights to select Auston Matthews first overall, his emotions got the best of him.
"Well, we got Auston," Babcock told TSN's Kristen Shilton while discussing the team's progress over the last few seasons. "But what if we (didn't)? I remember when we got to three (in the draft lottery), I was jumping up in the living room. When we got to one, tears. People don't understand. You need real players."
Most Leafs fans can probably relate to Babcock's reaction.
On Day 1, Matthews showed he was the real deal by scoring four goals in his first game. Through his first 128 NHL games, he's now collected 65 goals and 112 points.
