Auston Matthews got asked about hanging out with William Nylander, his answer said plenty

For the next two weeks, teammates are rivals at least when it comes to the Olympics. You're going to have guys like Brad Marchand trying to get under the skin of Florida teammate Matthew Tkachuk, and if things are as tense as they were at the 4 Nations last year -- expect some fireworks at some point.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's going to be a little less intense with their representatives as Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson won't have to face each other until the later rounds.

So that gives them a lot of time to keep the vibes going and hang out to keep things loose ahead of a potential matchup.

Or does it? According to Auston Matthews, he's just going to stick to being with his Team USA brethren.

Matthews explained to reporters who asked if he was going to chum it up with Nylander that he is just going to stick around his teammates for the Olympics and then figure it all out when things in the NHL get back to normal:

Obviously there is no hard feelings between the two, and it does go to show that it's more about the unity with your countrymen than just NHL teammates.

Though it isn't too surprising considering that Matthews and the rest of Team USA have all decided to stay in the Olympic Village together, with Matthews rooming with Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin.

It's going to be an exciting couple of weeks for Maple Leafs fans not only because they get to see Matthews, Nylander and OEL shine on the international stage, but a strong tournament could give them hope that this season isn't completely lost.

For those interested in knowing when Matthews, Nylander, and Ekman-Larsson are playing, we've posted the entire schedule here.

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