Maple Leafs name Auston Matthews captain, John Tavares fully supports decision

The Toronto Maple Leafs formally announced Auston Matthews as the 26th captain in team history on Wednesday, with now-former captain John Tavares expressing his unequivocal support in passing the torch to one of the league’s superstars.

The Maple Leafs made the announcement at a press conference in Toronto, where Matthews — the first American to be named team captain — spoke alongside General Manager Brad Treliving and Tavares. President Brendan Shanahan and head coach Craig Berube were also in attendance.

Matthews, 26, succeeds the 33-year-old Tavares, who held the role for six seasons after signing a seven-year, $77 million contract with Toronto on July 1, 2018. Tavares has one year left on that deal and is slated to become a free agent next summer if he doesn’t re-sign with the Maple Leafs.

“Over the last few months and deep discussions, we made the decision to pass the captaincy on to Auston,” Tavares said. “I do recognize the development of our young core and where they are today, specifically Auston.”

Tavares said the choice to support the decision is “in recognition of the maturation of the person,” being Matthews.

“He’s ready for this honour and responsibility,” Tavares added. “I will continue to serve and lead as I do and give Auston my full support.”

Matthews had been an alternate captain since the 2019-20 season. Other alternates included defenceman Morgan Rielly (since 2016-17) and winger Mitch Marner (also since 2019-20). Rielly and Marner were in Toronto for the press conference.

“When [Tavares] let me know [of his decision], I was shaking. I had chills,” Matthews said. “It’s such an honour to represent the Maple Leafs and put on that jersey every night. To be the captain is truly special. For [Tavares] to call me and let me know he wanted to pass on the captaincy to me was very emotional. I felt a lot of things. It’s truly an honour.”

Matthews scored 69 goals last season and won his third Rocket Richard trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer. He has spent his entire career with Toronto since the club drafted him with the first overall pick in 2016.

Toronto’s top centre will earn the highest cap hit ($13.25 million) of any NHL player this season when he begins his renewed four-year commitment with the Maple Leafs.

Captaincy changes rare but not uncommon

Since Matthews’ rookie season in 2016-17, the Maple Leafs have qualified for the playoffs eight times but have advanced past the first round only once.

Matthews has had two head coaches with the Maple Leafs, Mike Babcock and Sheldon Keefe. The latter was dismissed this offseason. In May, Berube was named Keefe’s replacement.

George Armstrong is the longest-serving captain in Maple Leafs history (11 years), followed by Mats Sundin and Hap Day (10 years).

The Los Angeles Kings took the “C” from Dustin Brown and gave it to Anže Kopitar, though that switch followed two Stanley Cup championships.

A couple of Matthews’ mentor-friends, former Leafs’ Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, had the “C” unstitched from their uniform in San Jose and will be fondly remembered as Sharks legends.

And the man Matthews leaped for the Leafs’ goal record, Rick Vaive, was stripped of the captaincy and dealt way back in those prickly Harold Ballard years.

Some of the longest-serving NHL captains include former Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes star Shane Doan (who now works with the Maple Leafs as Treliving’s special advisor). He held the title from 2003 to 2017.

Longtime Ottawa Senators winger Daniel Alfredsson was team captain for 13 seasons, from 1999 to 2013. Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux served as captain on a few occasions, notably from 1987 to 1994, 1995 to 1997 and 2001 to 2006.

Other long-time captains include future Hall of Fame defenceman Zdeno Chára, who captained the Boston Bruins for 14 seasons (2006 to 2020), Chicago Blackhawks centre Jonathan Toews (2008 to 2023), Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin (2009 to present), Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby (2006 to present) and Steve Yzerman, who captained the Detroit Red Wings for 19 seasons (1986 to 2006).