Maple Leafs confirm one important detail about Tavares after captaincy change
The Toronto Maple Leafs are rewarding John Tavares' grace, understanding and humble nature after he passed off the captaincy to Auston Matthews on Wednesday.
Auston Matthews has officially been appointed the 26th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history, with the announcement being made official during a press conference on Wednesday with Tavares himself presenting Matthews with his new Maple Leafs jersey, with the "C" stitched where it belongs.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this photo from NHL.com's Dave McCarthy certainly proves that point.
With Tavares giving up the captaincy to Matthews, there were questions surrounding what might happen with the alternates, and whether or not Tavares would wear an "A" this season. Naturally, Leafs GM Brad Treliving confirmed that Tavares as an alternate this season is a no brainer, as David Alter of The Hockey News pointed out below.
Tavares has worn a letter for nearly the entirety of his career, so it's not a surprise to see him wear the "A" after the team's captaincy transition. He is a true leader and it would have been silly to exclude him from the leadership group, especially after he and his family gracefully and respectfully helped to make Auston Matthews' day a special one on Wednesday. For more on that, view the link provided here: Tavares family reacts surprisingly to Auston Matthews being named Leafs captain
Treliving did not reveal who the team's other alternates will be, but with Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner both present for today's event in Toronto, it stands to reason that they'll both be given strong consideration to resume their roles as alternates in Toronto.
Tavares will be hoping for a bounce back season in 2024-25, after producing just 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games for the Leafs last season.
Source for stats: Hockey DB
John Tavares stats and bio
| POLL | ||
AOUT 14 | 1097 ANSWERS Maple Leafs confirm one important detail about Tavares after captaincy change Does John Tavares deserve a new contract for how he handled the captaincy change in Toronto? | ||
| Absolutely. Class act. | 659 | 60.1 % |
| Not if he continues to decline | 194 | 17.7 % |
| I'm okay with it either way, stay or go | 244 | 22.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
