It would’ve felt false for the 107-year-old drama vacuum of an NHL franchise to introduce their new captain with a brief photo opp and speech. No, when Auston Matthews was officially named the 26th captain in team history and the first U.S. born player to earn the honor Wednesday, there was pageantry. John Tavares didn’t just quietly pass on the letter after five seasons wearing it; he spoke about the decision live, with his wife and children present. General manager Brad Treliving spoke. Team president Brendan Shanahan, new coach Craig Berube and alternate captains Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly met with media after the speeches, too.
When Matthews took the stage to receive his freshly adorned jersey, with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment staff members clapping from the rafters at Toronto’s Real Sports Restaurant, it felt like a celebration.
And that was the smart message for the organization to send. It didn’t connote that the Leafs were stripping the aging Tavares of the honor. Instead, they were actively giving it to the greatest talent their franchise has ever known, the man who will own plenty of team scoring records – plenty more, rather – by the time his tenure ends.
Matthews described the feeling as having chills and even shaking with disbelief when Tavares first spoke to him about handing off the captaincy.
“I was in Toronto a couple weeks before, I saw him when I was here, we kept in touch, he wanted to chat,” Matthews said. “He called me to express how he felt about myself, about his role, how he wanted to pass it… there’s really no words to explain what it felt like. It was very humbling. It meant a lot coming from him.”
“This decision is definitely not about whether I succeeded or failed, whether I’m capable or that my time has passed,” Tavares said during his prepared opening remarks Wednesday. “I feel stronger than ever in my ability to compete, play at a high level and make significant contributions through my leadership. This decision is in recognition of the maturation of a person who has shown a skillset that is special, unique and who has a relentless drive to win. In that, I believe Auston can become more and that he’s ready for this honor and responsibility. With me passing on the captaincy, it will allow Auston to fully embrace the leader that he is and have an even greater impact on our team.”
Tavares’ words felt genuine; he’s always been a straight shooter. But it would be naïve to believe Tavares’ career trajectory had no bearing on the decision. The detractors get far too carried away slamming a player who is still coming off a 29-goal season, but Tavares turns 34 next month, his already subpar footspeed has slowed noticeably, and he’s experiencing a perfectly natural age-related decline. In his first three campaigns as a Leaf, he averaged 38 goals and 81 points per 82 games. In the next three: 32 goals and 76 points. He has managed just five goals in 18 games over the past two post-seasons, albeit he did score the most important Toronto goal in two decades, the 2023 overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning that clinched the Leafs’ first playoff series win since 2004. Tavares enters the final season of his seven-year, $11 million deal. While it was a dream come true for him to wear the ‘C,’ that wasn’t the dream when he signed in 2018.
“John said to me, when he first came here, he didn’t come to Toronto to be the captain of the Maple Leafs,” Treliving said. “He came to win the Stanley Cup in his hometown. And that goal is still what drives him today.”
“John saw it and understood it as well as we did that the time was right,’ Shanahan said. “I’ve known the Tavares family from his uncle and his lacrosse days, and I know what they’re made of, the team players they are, and they’re always thinking about what’s best for the team. So I wasn’t surprised at all to see John embracing the idea and concept.
It’s therefore believable that Tavares wasn’t exactly lanced through the heart by the change, even if it’s an ego blow. It was the logical time to make the shift, and Matthews has earned the honor. He’s a Hart Trophy winner, a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner as the league’s top goal-scorer and consistently one of the best two-way forwards in the sport. He has taken the torch from Alex Ovechkin to become the pre-eminent sniper of this generation. Matthews’ 69 goals last season equalled Mario Lemieux for the most of any NHL player in the past 31 years.
Similar to Tavares, Matthews won’t be a fire-breathing dragon of a leader in the mold of Nathan MacKinnon. But Matthews will inspire teammates with his play and, as Rielly explained, his all-around closeness to them.
“His relationship with his teammates is probably one thing that isn’t exposed to you guys, how much he cares for people, his friends and his teammates,” Rielly said. “We’re very lucky to have him in there. He is that guy. The best players in the world, he’s right there, and he’s right there with the best teammates in the world as well. He cares about everybody, he treats everybody with respect. I think that’s contagious.”
Throughout his time as a Leaf, Tavares has never hesitated to reiterate his love for the experience, how much he embraces the pressure. But as a local boy living out that fantasy, he has always visibly felt the pressure, wearing it grimly in his post-game pressers after the team’s playoff eliminations. Matthews, as comfortable in his skin as any star ever to play for the team, will shoulder the burden differently, bringing his trademark unflappability.
“I just approach it to be myself every day,” Matthews said. “I know who I am as a person and my role on the team. So I don’t think it needs to change who I am or the way I go about my business. I’ll just continue to evolve and continue to be the best player I can be.”
So far, Matthews’ best, Tavares’ best, Mats Sundin’s best, Doug Gilmour’s best – haven’t been enough to bring a championship to a franchise with a Cup drought so long it predates the inception of two franchises that have never won in 50-plus years of existence, the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres. Early in Treliving’s tenure as GM, it’s debatable whether the team is moving in the right direction, undoubtedly bigger and tougher but not as skilled or defensively conscientious as it was a couple seasons ago. But the fight rages on, with the Chris Tanev signing indicating the Leafs remain all-in on their championship push.
Matthews, of course, has a brand-new contract kicking in this season, running four years at a $13.25 million AAV. It was always assumed Toronto would remain in full win-now mode for at least the duration of his deal. But does the captaincy open up the idea of Matthews, 26, putting in permanent roots and becoming a Leaf for life?
“I think that’s been the goal, to win here, for my teammates, for the city,” Matthews said. “Those are always things you keep in the back of your mind. But those are things that are in the future as well. I’ve loved every minute of being a Toronto Maple Leaf. It’s a tremendous honor. You take it one day at a time, but I hope that’s the case.”