Auston Matthews is set to become the next captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking over the team’s top leadership role from teammate John Tavares, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision.
The Leafs called a press conference for 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday where they’re expected to announce the change officially. The leadership shakeup comes after extensive internal discussions in the wake of a seven-game, first-round loss to the Boston Bruins in May. Senior front office members ultimately concluded that it was time for a change and that Matthews — already the team’s top player — was ready to take the next step in his evolution as a leader.
Tavares was involved in those talks and is believed to have supported the handoff to Matthews.
Matthews will become the 26th captain in franchise history. He has spent all eight of his NHL seasons with the Leafs after being drafted No. 1 in 2016 and is coming off a 69-goal, 107-point campaign – establishing new career bests.
Tavares spent the last five seasons as Toronto’s captain and is entering the final year of his contract. He was bestowed the honor on Oct. 2, 2019 as part of 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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