Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies recently opened up about what he did with his $6 million signing bonus. Knies received the bonus after signing a six-year, $46.5 million contract extension in early July.
Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast on Monday, Knies admitted he hasn’t spent the bonus on anything extravagant.
“I get asked that a lot. I didn’t — I haven’t bought anything, really,” Knies said in response to host Paul Bissonnette’s question about what he purchased with his signing bonus. “I don’t know what to buy, to be honest.”
Co-host Ryan Whitney then asked Knies about his living situation in Toronto.
“Yeah, I rent a place, you can’t really purchase because there’s a huge foreign tax to purchase a place,” Knies explained. “So I’m not allowed to purchase a place, really, is what I’m told. So, yeah, I don’t really know. I think I just had a comfortable summer, you know, spending it wisely and nothing crazy.”
Knies also revealed that some of his teammates tease him because he doesn’t own watches or expensive shoes. They often try to convince him to buy something flashy.
“I think some of the guys kind of give me shit every now and then,” Knies said. “I don’t own any watches or any crazy pairs of shoes. So I think those guys are like telling me, like, they’re something, and force me to buy something.”
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Knies’ new contract followed his impressive performance during the 2024-25 NHL season, where he scored a career-high 29 goals and recorded 58 points over 78 games. He has been particularly effective playing wing on the Leafs’ top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. (Marner was later traded to Vegas.)
Earlier in August, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews praised Knies after he received an invitation to Team USA hockey’s Olympic camp. Matthews called the invite “well deserved,” highlighting Knies as a great young player who is still developing and will only get better.
“He’s looking forward to the opportunity,” Matthews said.
Auston Matthews has already been selected to represent the U.S. Olympic team in Italy, joining other early selections like Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, and Quinn Hughes.
Fans can look forward to seeing Matthews and Knies once again playing on the same line when the Maple Leafs face off against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
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**About the Author**
Ankit Kumar is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over three years of experience covering the sport. His passion for ice hockey was sparked by watching Sidney Crosby play, and he has been following the game closely ever since.
Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ and was among the fans celebrating Crosby’s milestone of crossing the 1,500 points tally. An Edmonton Oilers fan due to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also follows the Pittsburgh Penguins (Crosby) and the Colorado Avalanche (Nathan MacKinnon). Additionally, he is a fan of hockey legends Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.
Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit combines his education with credible sources to present precise and compelling hockey content. When not writing or watching NHL games, he enjoys listening to music and reading books.
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