Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews becomes fastest active player to score 50 goals in a season

The wait is over. After two seasons of scoring at a 50-goal pace playing NHL schedules shortened by COVID-19, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews finally has his first official 50-goal campaign. He reached the number with an empty-net goal in Thursday’s 7-3 home victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

Achieving the milestone in just his 62^nd game of the season, Matthews is the fastest active NHLer to reach 50 goals in a season. No player has scored 50 that quickly in 26 years.

Matthews is first Leaf with a 50-goal season since 1993-94 and the fourth player in Leafs history to score 50 goals in one season. He joins Rick Vaive, who did it three times; Gary Leeman; and Dave Andreychuk. Matthews needs just five goals in his final 15 games of 2021-22 to set a new franchise record at 55 and beat Vaive’s mark of 54, set in 1981-82. Judging by the celebration for his 50^th on Thursday, Matthews is in for a big one if he sets the franchise mark.