Berube's quote on leadership answers captaincy questions in Toronto
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's quote this week on leadership seems to answer all of the questions about John Tavares and the captaincy in Toronto.
The leadership group in Toronto has been in place for a number of years, which begs the question; is it time for a captaincy change after so many playoff failures?
After wearing the "A" in his first season in Toronto, John Tavares was given the "C" ahead of his sophomore season with the Leafs in 2019. Obviously, having been a captain before on Long Island, Tavares knew what that burden entailed. He learned what it meant from a great mentor in Doug Weight and he has applied what he learned from his mentor during his time in Toronto.
Tavares not only leads by example in the gym and on the ice, never quitting on a play and always giving 100%, but he's embodied leadership off the ice as well, having taken a number of Leafs rookies under his wing, including Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten, putting both players up in his home over the past couple of seasons.
Judging by Craig Berube's comments earlier this week, we are not likely to see a captaincy change this summer, as Tavares seems to embody what Berube views as true leadership.
With Tavares being a true captain playing the mentor role to younger players coming up in Toronto, showing them some extra attention and opening up his home to them the way he has, it would be shocking to see the "C" being taken from him and passed on to the likes of Auston Matthews or Morgan Rielly.
If the captaincy does change in Toronto, it likely won't happen until 2025-26, and that's only if Tavares does not re-sign with the Leafs.
| POLL | ||
MAI 23 | 683 ANSWERS Berube's quote on leadership answers captaincy questions in Toronto Do you think John Tavares is a good captain for the Maple Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 398 | 58.3 % |
| No | 285 | 41.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
