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.
“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.