A passing of the torch occurred in Toronto on Wednesday morning as the Maple Leafs have handed the team’s captaincy over to star forward Auston Matthews.
The 26-year-old becomes the 26th captain in franchise history, replacing John Tavares in the role as the on-ice leader for the Maple Leafs.
“I’m so honoured and humbled. Since being drafted here eight years ago, you realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto to to wear the maple leaf on your chest every single night,” Matthews said.
“It just means the world to me and I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto.”
Tavares, who said he was part of the decision to make a change at captain, believes that his teammate will make a solid captain.
“it’s amazing how he pushes the team, I think a lot of times without … realizing it,” he explained. “And you can just tell by the way he inspires others, with his talent, his work ethic, and just being so level grounded, just being one of the guys every single day.“
Matthews, who was born in California but raised in Scottsdale, Ariz., becomes the first American to captain the storied franchise.
He will become the second non-Canadian with the other being Mats Sundin, who served more than a decade in the role between the 1990s and early 2000s.
The American forward was selected by the Maple Leafs with the first pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft, before winning the Calder trophy as the NHL’s top rookie the following season.
He has now appeared in 562 games, scoring scored 368 goals while also recording a further 281 assists. This past season, he scored 69 goals in 81 games, winning his third career Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer.
Over his time in the NHL he has also been awarded the Ted Lindsay Award for being the most outstanding player and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player. The former is voted on by players while the second honour is selected by the media.
Leafs GM Brad Treliving said that the move to make the change first developed after the team was knocked out of the playoffs in May by the Boston Bruins.
“at the end of every season, you sort of digest the season that just happened and you’re looking to just improve in any way you can,” he explained. “And it was at that time John and I had a conversation, and I first raised the thought that I had about about the succession of the captaincy to John and and I can tell you, right from the start, John was on board.”
Tavares was on board with making the change but it took some time before he broke the news to his teammate.
“You know, I had come to the decision, and kind of discussed making it official, with Brad, probably about a week before, letting Austin know,” he said.
Tavares, who will remain an assistant captain, said he advised his new leader that he should remain himself but to not try to take too much on his owns shoulders.
“At the same time, it’s going to be his journey, and and he’s going to learn a lot and he’s going to find his own way,” he And I’m excited to be there with him, when he needs me to support.”
The Mississauga native joined the franchise as a free agent in 2018-19 and was soon named captain of the franchise.
Tavares, who is also a former No. 1 overall pick, has scored 184 goals and while also collecting 235 assists in 440 games with the Toronto.
He is entering into the final year of a seven-year contract he signed with the club back in 2018.