John Tavares has revealed the truth about why he passed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews this summer
Former Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has shared an official statement, revealing the truth about why he passed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews this summer.
Wednesday marked a very significant day for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who crowned Auston Matthews the 26th captain in franchise history, with the full endorsement and blessing from former captain John Tavares, who was the one who handed Matthews his new #34 jersey, adorned with a fresh new letter on the chest.
While Tavares was all smiles on Wednesday, some have maintained that he was merely smiling through the pain and that he must have been upset to see the "C" taken from him prior to the end of his current deal. If Tavares' official statement is any indication, that simply isn't true.
Tavares shared a heartfelt speech this week, revealing why he thought the time was right to pass the captaincy off to Matthews. Among the primary reasons for the transition of the captaincy, according to Tavares, was Matthews' "maturation" and "relentless drive to win".
The former Leafs captain made sure to emphasize that this change in leadership was not related to the job he did or did not do while wearing the "C" in Toronto, confirming that he feels as though he's in the best playing shape of his life.
Where Tavares placed the focus for the change was on Matthews' individual growth. Tavares has seen, first hand, how Matthews has grown as a leader in Toronto and he simply felt, through consultation with Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan, that he'd enjoy the opportunity to help Matthews to transition into a role that he was born to play as an NHL captain.
The grace and humility that Tavares has shown throughout this process has been wonderful to see and has really gone a long way in convincing at least some members of the Leafs' loyal fanbase that he is worthy of a contract extension and an opportunity to retire as a Maple Leaf.
Source: The Hockey News
Why John Tavares Believed Now was the Right Time to Hand Over the Maple Leafs Captaincy to Auston Matthews
| POLL | ||
AOUT 18 | 2254 ANSWERS John Tavares has revealed the truth about why he passed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews this summer Do you think John Tavares is secretly upset about losing the "C" in Toronto? | ||
| Yes, how could he not be? | 715 | 31.7 % |
| No, I think he's genuinely happy for Auston | 1272 | 56.4 % |
| Not really sure | 267 | 11.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
