Auston Matthews returned to Toronto after a memorable run at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. Now, his new girlfriend, Vanessa Piunno, shared a personal message from that time.
Piunno, a Toronto-based skincare specialist, posted photos from the Olympics, including one of Matthews wearing his gold medal in Milan. This post made the couple’s relationship public.
Along with the images, she wrote, “A month to remember forever ❤️❤️,” keeping her caption simple and heartfelt.
Matthews captained Team USA to a 2–1 overtime win over Canada on Feb. 22. The victory gave the United States its first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980 and the third in program history.
After the tournament, Matthews and his teammates visited the White House, a decision that led to debate in some circles.
When Matthews returned to Scotiabank Arena, he first heard boos from some fans after defeating Canada, but later received a standing ovation during a tribute.
Speaking about the experience, Matthews said, “It’s special. I think all of us are proud Americans and doing something like that, winning a gold medal, obviously representing your country, it felt like it was a special honour to be invited. It’s an honour. So it was pretty neat to go there and see everything and just kind of get to share that experience with everybody.”
Despite the Olympic success, Toronto’s NHL season has been challenging. However, Matthews remains under contract through the 2027-28 season with a full no-movement clause, and has recorded 26 goals and 25 assists for 51 points in 55 games this year.