Toronto Maple Leafs strip John Tavares of captaincy in favour of Auston Matthews

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Aaron Itovitch
August 12, 2024  (7:17 PM)

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Photo credit: Markerzone

It was announced today that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be stripping John Tavares of his captaincy in favour of Auston Matthews.

This shocking move has been announced by several notable Toronto Maple Leafs insiders, including Chris Johnston and Darren Dreger, and they expect Wednesday's press conference with general manager Brad Treliving to be the day where this move happens.

John Tavares joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 as a free agent on a massive seven-year contract worth $77 million. Auston Matthews joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft, and has since won significant hardware including the Hart Trophy and Rocket Richard Trophy.

John Tavares has begun declining over the last few years, not living up to his contract, and being an incredibly divisive figure in Toronto sports, whereas Auston Matthews showed he was committed to the city of Toronto and the Maple Leafs by signing a four-year $13.25 million annual extension last season. This move symbolizes the beginning of a new era for the Toronto Maple Leafs after their first round exit to the Boston Bruins last year.

Per Chris Johnston, John Tavares was accepting of this decision, as he enters the final year of his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. We will see if Auston Matthews can become the captain that team needs to make a deep playoff run.

Source The Athletic:
Auston Matthews to be named Maple Leafs captain

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POLL
AOÛT 12   |   323 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs strip John Tavares of captaincy in favour of Auston Matthews Do you think Auston Matthews will be a better captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs than John Tavares?
Yes	137	42.4 %
No	186	57.6 %
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