Speaking Into Possibility: Auston Matthews Leads in a Different Era
During a recent interview, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said something that deserves more attention than it’s likely to get. Speaking about Auston Matthews’ growth as a leader, he said Matthews has learned to “speak into possibility without forcing it.” It’s a quiet line, the kind that slides past if you’re listening for soundbites. But it captures something essential about how leadership works in the modern NHL—and why it’s so often misunderstood.
The Old NHL Leadership Templates No Longer Fit
Hockey has long equated leadership with volume. The loud voice. The dramatic speech.
It’s a quiet line, the kind that slides past if you’re listening for soundbites. But it captures something essential about how leadership works in the modern NHL—and why it’s so often misunderstood.
Matthews resists that entire template. He doesn’t lead through performance of emotion. He leads through presence, habit, and consistency. “Speaking into possibility” isn’t about telling teammates what they must be; it’s about showing them what could be—and letting them decide how far they’re willing to follow. That kind of leadership doesn’t announce itself, and it doesn’t always photograph well. But inside a room, it’s unmistakable.
Learning Not to Force Leadership but to Invite Teamwork
What Keefe is really describing is restraint. Matthews had to learn when his voice mattered and when silence carried more weight. For elite players, that lesson is hard-earned. Talent creates gravity whether you want it to or not. Forcing leadership too early—or too loudly—often backfires. NHL players sense it immediately.
Matthews’ evolution has been about trusting that his preparation, his standards, and his response to adversity already communicate plenty. Leadership, in this sense, isn’t about control. It’s about offering something stable enough that others can lean on.
Keefe Allowed Matthews’ Leadership to Evolve
Here is where Keefe’s role matters. He never tried to manufacture a version of Matthews that fit an outdated idea of captains and stars. Instead, he allowed Matthews to arrive at leadership in his own way and on his own timeline. That’s a form of coaching evolution we don’t talk about enough. Development isn’t just for players. Coaches also must learn when to push and when to trust.
Keefe saw Matthews at his most explosive—historic goal totals, dominant regular seasons—but he also saw the quieter growth. The mornings after losses. The steady refusal to turn leadership into theatre.
A Modern Lesson in Leadership (Hockey or Not)
Now they’ve moved on from one another, as this league inevitably demands. What remains is the imprint. Matthews leads in a way that doesn’t force belief but invites it. Keefe learned how to coach a superstar without trying to script his voice.
“Speaking into possibility without forcing it” may not sound revolutionary. But in today’s NHL, it might be the most precise definition of leadership we have.