The Toronto Maple Leafs named middle Auston Matthews the twenty sixth captain in franchise historical past Wednesday.
The 3-time NHL objectives chief succeeds John Tavares, who has worn the “C” on his sweater since October 2019.
“I am extremely humbled to be named captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” stated Matthews, 26. “I am commemorated to observe in John’s footsteps and proceed our paintings in main this staff in conjunction with such a lot of different leaders inside of our dressing room. This staff, this town, and our lovers imply the entirety to me. All of us embody the historical past of this franchise, and we’re made up our minds to get the activity completed.”
Matthews received his 3rd Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2023-24 with a career-high 69 objectives. He received the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in 2021-22 and the Calder Memorial Trophy as most sensible rookie in 2016-17.
Since becoming a member of Toronto because the No. 1 general draft select in 2016, he has registered 649 issues (368 objectives, 281 assists) in simply 562 video games. Matthews additionally has 48 issues (23 objectives, 25 assists) in 55 Stanley Cup Playoff video games.
Introducing the twenty sixth captain of your Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews percent.twitter.com/ebD5kYK6vG
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 14, 2024
Tavares, who turns 34 subsequent month, stepped down because the captain however stays part of the roster heading into his sixteenth NHL marketing campaign.
“When (basic supervisor) Brad Treliving and I met on the finish of this previous season and mentioned techniques for our staff to take your next step, we each agreed that Auston is in a position and it is his time to steer,” Tavares stated. “It is been an out of this world honor to function captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs those previous 5 seasons. Taking a look ahead, I will be able to do the entirety to improve Auston as we proceed our pursuit of the Stanley Cup.”
Treliving stated that Matthews’ “distinctive qualities as a hockey participant and talent to encourage his teammates will pressure our staff’s good fortune shifting ahead.”
The Maple Leafs misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs final season in seven video games to the Boston Bruins. Toronto has no longer received the Stanley Cup since 1967.
Matthews, a local Californian raised in Arizona, is the primary U.S.-born participant to captain the Maple Leafs and the second one non-Canadian. Mats Sundin of Sweden was once captain from 1997-2008.
–Box Degree Media
