Auston Matthews: 'Coyotes are the reason I started playing hockey'

Music to Gary Bettman's ears.

Auston Matthews remains a long shot to be drafted by his hometown team, but regardless, the Arizona Coyotes will stay close to the projected No. 1 overall draft selection's heart.

"(The) Coyotes are the reason I started playing hockey," Matthews said while in attendance Saturday at Gila River Arena. "We're pretty fortunate to have them in the Valley."

Matthews, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., scored 24 goals and 46 points in 36 games for the Zurich Lions in Switzerland's top division, emerging as one of the very best players in the high-skilled division and on his unconventional path to the NHL.

He'll be the first of what the league hopes will be a steady stream of talent to come out of the area, reflecting meaningful growth in the market.