In a heartwarming gesture, Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews showed his class and kindness during the NHL All-Star Weekend.

Auston Matthews made a young fan’s day by offering him a pair of skates, which was such a special and personal gesture. However, it didn’t stop the 26-year-old from moving forward there, as he went above and beyond by taking time to have a chat with the young fan and even hugging him.

Moreover, Matthews also invited the young fan to be present in the arena to watch him play while calling the fan his “secret weapon” of motivation for him. The interaction with the young fan displayed the impact athletes can have on their fans, especially younger ones.

Meanwhile, NHL fans wasted no time in expressing their admiration for Matthews’ class gesture. They took to X, formerly Twitter, to shower him with praise and show their appreciation.

One fan tweeted:

“How do you not put a C on his chest. Absolute MVP on and off the ice.”

Another chimed in:

“Auston is incredible man all he’s done for Sick Kids is outstanding. He’s an MVP candidate on and off the ice”

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

Auston Matthews named MVP of the 2024 NHL All-Star Game

The NHL All-Star Game Weekend came to an end on Saturday (Feb. 3), with Team Auston Matthews beating Team Connor McDavid 7-4 in the final.

Matthews delivered a stellar performance and ended up being honored with the MVP award for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.

He notched up two goals and one assist in the final and ended the event with four points in two games in front of the home crowd in Scotiabank Arena. Team Matthews also took home the $1 million prize money as the winner of the All-Star Game.

Auston Matthews has been in fine form this season. He leads the league in scoring with 40 goals. The 26-year-old returns to the ice when the Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders at the Scotiabank Arena on Monday.