Star free-agent centre John Tavares announced on his Twitter account Sunday that he has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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“The past 6 days have been nothing I could have ever expected. Making the toughest decision of my life: to stay where I have been my entire career or take a calculated leap of faith into an opportunity that I believe will be special to me and my family,” Tavares said in the tweet.
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“The island, the fans, the organization, my teammates will always be special to me and my family but it’s time to live my childhood dream here in Toronto,” he continued.
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Fans have been anxiously been awaiting the decision for weeks, which came shortly after the star player became a free agent on Sunday. Tavares had 37 goals and 47 assists while playing all 82 games for the New York Islanders last season.
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Toronto Maple Leafs PR confirmed that the team has agreed to terms with Tavares on a seven-year contract, paid CAD$11 million annually.
The Toronto Maple Leafs tweeted a photo of Tavares in a Leafs’ jersey from its official Twitter account when the news broke.
More coming.
-With files from the Canadian Press.
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