Matthews excited for relaxed dress code in bubble

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar and quasi-fashion icon Auston Matthews is looking forward to ditching the traditional pregame suit and tie when the NHL officially returns.

As part of the CBA, players are ordered to wear a suit and tie on game days "unless otherwise specified by the head coach or general manager." The NHL is the only major professional sports league in North America that follows such a strict dress code.

However, a relaxed dress code is one of the small rule changes the NHL and NHLPA agreed to for the league's return-to-play plan, and Matthews believes players will be able to showcase their personalities better.

"I'm really looking forward to it, honestly," Matthews told TSN's Kristen Shilton on Sunday. "It'll be a pretty cool opportunity for guys to express themselves like other leagues are able to. At times, hockey can kind of fall behind as far as that stuff goes."

Matthews has been outspoken about his fashion interests throughout his professional career, even appearing in GQ Magazine in 2018.

The Maple Leafs, the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference, are matched up against the Columbus Blue Jackets in their best-of-five play-in series, which is slated to begin Aug. 2 in Toronto.