NHL-Toronto select American Matthews with first overall pick

(Adds details) June 23 (Reuters) - The long-suffering Toronto Maple Leafs selected American centre Auston Matthews with the first overall pick in the 2016 National Hockey League Entry Draft in Buffalo on Friday. The 18-year-old native of Scottsdale, Arizona was a dominant force in Switzerland's top professional league last season and was Team USA's best player at the world championships in May. Matthews offers speed, strength, excellent hockey sense, a quick and accurate shot and improving defensive play, and is widely expected to have an instant impact on a Toronto team that have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967. The 6-foot 2-inch centre played on the Zurich Lions' first line last season and finished 10th in league scoring with 24 goals and 22 assists in 36 games. He also had nine points in 10 games while playing for a weak U.S. team at the world championships that lost in the bronze medal game. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Larry Fine)