Auston Matthews reacts with excitement on social media to Justin Bieber’s surprise album swag

In a heartwarming crossover from music to sports, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews paid tribute to his longtime supporter Justin Bieber, who had casually dropped an unexpected 21-track album titled Swag.

Instead of going for interviews or making formal statements, Matthews shared stories on Instagram featuring some of the album's music with emoji reactions and tagging- a subtle yet unmistakable show of appreciation for both artist and fan.

Auston Matthews shows support for Justin Bieber’s album ‘Swag’ through Instagram reactions

Auston Matthews remains one of the biggest names in the National Hockey League, often keeping his profile low away from the ice. His commentableness, however, when it comes to cheering for superfans and buddies like Justin Bieber, knows no bounds.

He shared two Instagram stories on Saturday showcasing tracks from Swag, shifting the limelight to Bieber's surprise album released the same day.

The first post saw Matthews featuring the track “YUKON” with a black album cover stamped with the word “SWAG” plus a Parental Advisory sticker. Matthews tagged Bieber's account with a fire-heart emoji that both hockey and music fans took note of. An additional track from the album, “WAY IT IS" featuring Gunna, would later be shared by Matthews with a pithy yet meaningful caption, "Yep."

Bieber has been a staunch and lifelong Leafs fan. Just a mere few weeks before the album release, the pop star was posting pictures of his infant son Jack Blues Bieber decked out in a Maple Leafs jersey, a not any kind of jersey but one bearing the number 34 of Auston Matthews himself. This post generated a lot of fan chatter before it even elicited a response from the official Leafs Instagram account.This connection goes even further than anything seen online; during the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this year, Bieber and his wife Hailey were spotted supporting the team sitting behind the Leafs' bench.

Bieber kept posting photos and messages of allegiance even post their elimination.After their exit from the playoffs, pop-culture jokes about a "Bieber curse" were made, but the artist stays true to his blue-and-white support, while Matthews, of course, appreciates Bieber's musical talent.Also Read: Isaak Phillips signs two-year contract with Winnipeg Jets, eyes NHL roster spotThough brief, Auston Matthews' response to Swag reflected an authentic friendship between two icons: one of music and the other of hockey. As Bieber goes on to support the Leafs, Matthews' simple yet earnest response magnifies the mutual admiration that is shared between the star performer and superfan.