Matthews named Maple Leafs captain, replaces Tavares
Center is the 1st U.S.-born player to play for Toronto and leads NHL with goals in the first year since joining the League
By NHL.com
Aug 14, 2024 04:05 PM
TORONTO — Auston Matthews was named the 26th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history on Wednesday.
He was the first player from the United States to captain the franchise’s 107-year history. He is also the second player from outside Canada to hold the captain’s chair. Mats Sundin from Sweden played as the captain in 1997 until 2008.
The center, who is 26 years old, replaces John Tavares who was captain since October. 2, 2019 and will serve as an alternative.
“I got chills, honestly,” Matthews stated about his selection as captain. “I’m so honored and humbled since being drafted here eight years ago. You realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto, to wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night. It just means the world to do that. To have the support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff, ownership, my family, it just means the world to me. I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto.”
Tavares claimed he contacted Matthews in the latter part of July to inform him of the news.
“I just wanted to let him know what I thought about him and that I thought the time was now for him to take charge and be the captain and be the leader of our club and how ready he was for it,” Tavares stated. “He’s got my full support to continue what when I came here six years ago to do and wanting to bring the Stanley Cup back here to Toronto and finding a way to do that.”
Matthews was born in San Ramon, California, but his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, after his family moved to Arizona when he was a child.
The number. 1 selection during the 2016 NHL Draft of the Maple Leafs, Matthews had an NHL record-setting 107 points this season, which included the 69 goals that were the highest total in a single season since 1995-96 in which Mario Lemieux also scored 69 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“After [Tavares] kind of let me know, I told him I was like shaking. I had chills,” Matthews told reporters. “It’s such a big honor just to represent the Maple Leafs and put on that jersey every night. To be the captain is truly special. For him to call me and kind of let me know that he wanted to pass on the captaincy to me was very emotional. I felt a lot of things, but it’s truly an honor.”
Matthews has been awarded his share of the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal-scorer three times (2020-21 2021-22, 2021-22, the 2023-24 season). When he scored a record-breaking 60 goals during 2021-22 season, he was the first U.S.-born player to reach this number. In the same year in 2021-22, he was awarded the Hart Trophy as the League’s most valuable player as well as The Ted Lindsay Award, given each year to the best players in the NHL as determined by the players of the NHL Players’ Association. He also won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year (2016-17).
Since his entry into to the NHL during the season of 2016-17, Matthews has scored at least 34 goals each season. He leads in all NHL athletes with 368 goals. This is over Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (328), who is second. Matthews is also ranked eighth in points throughout the span with 649 points.
Matthews is third in goals scored in Maple Leafs history behind former captains Sundin (420) and Darryl Sittler (389). Matthews is sixth all-time in points scored in Toronto his career, trailing Sundin (987), Sittler (916), Dave Keon (858), Borje Salming (768) and George Armstrong (713). All, except Salming were ex- Maple Leafs captains.
Matthews will begin the season that he signed his first five-year contract worth $53 million over four years. ($13.25 million in average annual value) that he signed with the Maple Leafs on Aug. 23, 2023.
“I can tell you right from the start, John was on board,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving stated. “I can assure you that he is thrilled to be Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and John’s a thinker. He was taking in things and we had these discussions throughout the course of a few days about the way we’ll be transitioning.
“John said to me, No. 1, he didn’t come to Toronto to be the captain of the Maple Leafs; he came to win a Stanley Cup in his hometown. That goal is still what drives him today. He mentioned that he knew eventually that this day was going to come. … I can’t thank John enough for his leadership and character that he has. Those things don’t stop today. We need it even more, and John will continue to provide those things.”
The Maple Leafs have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all eight of Matthews seasons, however, they have not made it past the opening round only once. That occurred in 2022-23. He’s scored an impressive 48 points (23 goals and 25 assists) in 55 playoff games.
He is the fifth-youngest captain of the NHL after Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) who are both 24 in addition to Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens) and Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) and Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), who are both 25.
“I think what I see in Auston’s evolution is obviously you’re talking about one of the best players in the game of hockey and certainly the growth through that has been incredible,” Tavares declared. “I’ve learned so much and it’s amazing how he pushes the team. … The commitment he’s shown to the team, to the game, the drive to win is remarkable. With him having this honor, this responsibility, I think it really gives him the chance to spread his wings and grow through all that in different areas that will only elevate him more and our team. It’s been amazing to learn from him, to play alongside him this far and to continue that forward.”
Six teams are that are part of the NHL with no captains which include they are the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning as well as Utah Hockey Club.