"It’s like an addiction": Ex-Maple Leafs enforcer rips Auston Matthews for constant iPad use on bench during crucial game moments

Auston Matthews iPad use has become an unexpected flashpoint as the Toronto Maple Leafs stumble through another uneasy phase of the season. With losses stacking up and familiar cracks widening, attention has shifted to leadership habits during games. A former player has questioned whether the captain’s focus on the bench matches the urgency of the moment when the team needs direction the most.Toronto’s recent slide has sharpened every detail. Bench behavior, body language, and communication now matter more because results are missing. In that environment, criticism carries weight, especially when it comes from someone who once wore the same sweater and understands the pressure that comes with it.The spark came from Jay Rosehill during a Leafs Morning Take appearance, where he voiced clear frustration with what he sees between shifts. Rosehill did not soften his view, questioning how often Matthews turns to technology instead of teammates.“Look at Auston Matthews. Like, is the iPad thing normal? Like, I have seen others, I’ve never seen a guy look at a f****** iPad so much. It’s like an addiction… He’s just like, give me the iPad. Give me the screen.” Rosehill said.For Rosehill, the concern was not video review itself but the timing and frequency. He suggested the habit risks pulling attention away from the bench dynamic. “Every single shift, he wants to stare at that,” he said, adding that he wondered if Matthews was missing things on the bench. Rosehill thinks “that’s kind of a microcosm of how he [Matthews] operates. It’s nothing that’s getting the boys together, it’s nothing that’s thinking about others.”He went further, describing Matthews as being “in his own little world” and said watching it during a tough stretch was frustrating, calling the bench scene “iPad city” when urgency should be rising.The comments landed during a six-game losing skid marked by slow starts, defensive lapses, and early goals against that flipped games fast. Toronto has struggled to protect the middle, finish chances, and find momentum on the power play.None of this erases Matthews’ production. At 28, he remains the engine of the offense with 26 goals and 19 assists in 48 games, facing elite matchups nightly. Still, this season lacks the control of last year’s 52-win run. At 25-21-9, the Leafs are chasing consistency instead of setting it.