Auston Matthews will be the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking over the team’s leadership role from teammate John Tavares, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision.
The Leafs have called a press conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday where they will officially announce the move. The leadership change comes after senior members of the organization vowed to explore every possible avenue to change the team’s dynamic following a seven-game first-round loss to the Boston Bruins in May. The process involved extensive internal discussions, with members of the executive team ultimately concluding that it was time for a captain change and that Matthews – already the team’s best player – was ready to take the next step in his development as a leader, sources said.
Tavares was involved in these talks and is said to have supported the handover to Matthews. He will be present at the press conference on Wednesday.
The announcement comes late in a season that has seen changes behind the bench in Toronto: Craig Berube replaced the fired Sheldon Keefe as head coach and the signing of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson as free agents has brought the defensive line back into focus.
Whether that’s enough to get a team that has just one playoff win in eight years over the hump remains to be seen. The Leafs have remarkably kept their core, which includes Matthews, Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, intact.
Matthews becomes the 26th captain in franchise history. He has spent all eight NHL seasons with the Leafs after being drafted No. 1 in 2016 and has scored 69 goals and 107 points this season, setting new career highs.
Tavares has been Toronto’s captain for the past five seasons and is now entering the final year of his contract. He received the honor on October 2, 2019, during an on-ice ceremony at Scotiabank Arena before the team’s season opener.
The only other Leafs players to wear the “C” in the last 27 years are Dion Phaneuf and Mats Sundin.
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