Auston Matthews’ New Girlfriend Vanessa Goes Public With Instagram Post

The USA men's hockey team likely would not have won gold medals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games is not for Toronto Maple Leafs star center Auston Matthews.

Matthews finished the Olympics with three goals and four assists, being a key piece of the USA's lethal attack that ultimately ended with Jack Hughes sinking a shot in overtime against Team Canada to give the USA men's team their first Olympic gold medals since the "Miracle on Ice" 1980 team.

Auston Matthews of the United States | James Lang-Imagn Images

Matthews has been the subject of a lot of criticism from Toronto media over the past couple of years, given that the team hasn't won anything significant during the decade he has been the face of their franchise.

However, Matthews proved that he is not the problem throughout these Olympic Games. And even if he never wins a Stanley Cup, nobody can ever take that gold medal away from him.

Auston Matthews | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Matthews is a private guy, and he likes to keep his personal life off social media as much as possible. This is why it's hard to gauge what's going on in his romantic life.

Before the Olympics, it was known that Matthews had dated Emily Ruttledge in a long-term, long-distance relationship, as Ruttledge lives in Santa Monica, California, and is a licensed therapist.

However, after Ruttledge didn't post anything on social media to congratulate Matthews during and after winning Olympic gold, there was speculation that their relationship might have been over.

And this is now confirmed, given that Matthews has gone public with a new women.

Who is Auston Matthews' New Girlfriend, Vanessa Piunno?

On March 3, Vanessa Piunno made a series of Instagram posts that showed her getting up close and personal. The post is captioned, "A month to remember forever ❤️❤️," and neither Piunno nor Matthews left any doubt that they were together.

According to Piunno's Instagram bio, she's Toronto-based and works as a skincare specialist for her own company, which is called Piunno Beauty.

Her website states, "Today, I offer private 1:1 skincare trainings and courses designed for everyone. Whether you’re a completebeginner, a skincare enthusiast, or someone looking to deepen your knowledge and confidence. My approachis personal, thoughtful, and rooted in education. I believe skincare should feel empowering, not intimidating, andthat learning works best when it’s tailored to you."

Vanessa Piunno | Instagram/@vanessapiunno

It's awesome to see that Matthews is winning both on and off the ice in his career right now.