Auston Matthews reveals how John Tavares really felt about losing the captaincy
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Just last year, Auston Matthews was made the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs over John Tavares, and it continues to be an extremely polarizing decision.
Auston Matthews is now the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and not everyone is a big fan of this decision.
A good example of this is former Leafs general manager Gord Stellick, who recently said that he would have made Morgan Rielly the captain.
With that in mind, there are some fans who still think the captain should be John Tavares, as it was Tavares who had more seniority.
Since becoming captain, we have rarely heard Matthews talk about the experience of becoming the team's captain, so it's refreshing to hear him actually give some comments.
Auston Matthews heaps praise on John Tavares
In a segment for Sportsnet, Matthews revealed that Tavares was extremely kind to him and gave the new captain lots of support.
Matthews went on to note that becoming captain of the Maple Leafs has been a real thrill, and that he loves everything about it.
Just having the support from John I don't think that situation is ever easy. But I think it just kind of showed the kind of person John is, the teammate he is, and the relationship that we have. Obviously, being the captain - and everything that comes with it, the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the fan base, the passion - everything that comes with being part of this organization it's something I've always been very grateful for and have never taken for granted.
So this was definitely a really cool day, always very special, and I feel like it's a huge honour putting on the jersey and representing a whole city.
So this was definitely a really cool day, always very special, and I feel like it's a huge honour putting on the jersey and representing a whole city.
At the end of the day, Matthews' captaincy still has a long way to go. There is no doubt that he still has a lot to learn.
That said, Tavares remains on the team, and Matthews can continue to use him as a resource.
If the captain can lead this team to the Stanley Cup, he will immediately become a true legend of the city.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 6 | 509 ANSWERS Auston Matthews reveals how John Tavares really felt about losing the captaincy Was giving Auston Matthews the captaincy the right move? | ||
| YES | 100 | 19.6 % |
| NO | 409 | 80.4 % |
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