Auston Matthews Receives Standing Ovation After Being Introduced as Leafs Captain at Home Opener

This summer, John Tavares made the difficult decision to comply with management's wishes to transition the captaincy over to Auston Matthews in the first year of his new 4-year deal, worth a staggering $13.25M per season.

The support that Matthews received from Tavares and his entire family, including his children, was very touching and knowing that he had Tavares' full blessing and endorsement meant the world to the Scottsdale, Arizona native. Now, the Leafs will usher in a new era, with Matthews sporting the "C" with pride.

The Leafs began their season on a 2-game road trip, with stops in Montreal and New Jersey leading up to tonight's home opener. Fans at Scotiabank Arena waited patiently in anticipation of that announcement from PA Announcer Mike Ross, and when Matthews was finally introduced as the captain of the Maple Leafs, the fans did not disappoint, rising to their feet put of respect for their franchise cornerstone.

Matthews produced an unbelievable 69 goals last season -- a feat that hadn't been accomplished since Mario Lemieux's glory days back in the mid 1990's. Matthews also set a new career high in points in 2023-24 with 107 points on the season. The hope is that he can replicate the success he experience last year and use the momentum to help propel his team towards a deep playoff run this season.