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NHL 20‘s cover star, Auston Matthews, is facing a police investigation for disorderly conduct. ESPN reports that Matthews, the 22-year-old center for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been charged with disruptive behavior or fighting in an incident that took place in Scottsdale, Arizona back in May.
ESPN’s report has all the details:
“According to multiple reports that cited the police report, a woman was sitting inside her car outside the condo building where Matthews lives when she was disturbed by the sound of someone trying to jump in her door. She allegedly got out of her car and confronted Matthews, who she said was intoxicated. According to multiple reports, as Matthews walked away, he ‘pulled his pants down, bent over and grabbed his butt cheeks,’ though he kept on his underwear.”
Matthews is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference this Wednesday, September 25.
The Maple Leafs released a statement on Matthews, which said the organization is “aware of the complaint.” Matthews is reportedly cooperating fully with authorities, but Matthews and the Leafs declined to share any more details “out of respect for the process involved.”
Matthews is one of the NHL’s best players, which is why EA put him on the cover of its latest NHL game. Just this year, Matthews–the No. 1 draft pick in 2016–inked a massive $58 million contract with the Leafs.
This is just the latest round of controversy to surround an NHL video game cover star. EA removed Patrick Kane from the cover of NHL 16 amid a police investigation into him for sexual assault. The local District Attorney’s office decided to not pursue criminal charges against Kane.
GameSpot has contacted EA Sports in an attempt to get more details on the company’s response to the investigation into Matthews. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
The Leafs begin their 2019 season on October 2 in a match-up against the Ottawa Senators.
