Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews gets Wayne Gretzky's stamp of approval

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky says he expects Auston Matthews to play a "big part" in the success of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the team enters a new era.

The Great One spoke to CBC News about the Maple Leafs' first-overall pick on Monday as he unveiled his new No. 99 Red Cask Whiskey at the LCBO in Maple Leaf Square.

"It's a new era for [the Maple Leafs] and obviously he is going to be a big part of their success in the new era," he said.

The 19-year-old centre became the first player in the modern-day NHL to score four goals in his regular season debut on Wednesday against the Senators in Ottawa, a performance that left Gretzky "very impressed."

"When I played my first game I was more worried about surviving and staying in the NHL," said the league's all-time leading scorer.

"For him to come in under the microscope in this day and age, with so much media and being in Toronto, the mecca of hockey, [it was] something really special."

In his NHL debut, Gretzky recorded an assist on what would be the first goal for the Edmonton Oilers after it joined the league from the World Hockey Association.

His first goal came in his third game and he finished his rookie campaign with 51 goals and 137 points.

That was in 1979, but Gretzky still remembers the feeling of that first goal.

"When you're 19 and you get your first goal, that's something you've dreamed about your entire life and thought about since you were four, skating in your backyard or on the pond with your buddies," he said.

"To see a young man come into Toronto and play like he did, good for him, I think it's great for the NHL."