Auston Matthews, one of the NHL’s most electrifying talents, has recently been named the 26th captain in the storied history of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also will be the first American-born player to wear the “C” on his jersey in the history of the organization.
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The change in the captaincy comes as now former captain John Tavares will be named an alternate. Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Brad Treliving, Matthews, and Tavares were all part of a media press conference on Aug. 14, where they talked about the change.
Matthews’ Journey
Matthews, drafted first overall by the Maple Leafs in 2016, has quickly become one of the cornerstones of the team’s future. His impact on the ice has been nothing short of remarkable. Since his debut, Matthews has consistently been among the league’s top goal scorers, earning accolades and recognition for his skill, defence, and scoring prowess. After just eight seasons with the Maple Leafs, he has already been compared to some of the franchise’s greats.
Matthews has shown that he has what it takes to handle playing Toronto. Unfortunately, the team hasn’t had much success in the playoffs, but after every loss he meets the media and answers the questions. He doesn’t shy away from it; he isn’t rude to the reporters; he sets the example as the best player on the team and goes out there no matter the situation and faces the media. If the Maple Leafs can find success in the playoffs, it’ll likely be on the back of Matthews. He will need to lead by example on and off the ice, so why not make him the captain of the team?
Will Matthews Make a Difference?
If you look through the comment section on almost any social media post regarding the change in captaincy, you’ll see a lot of comments about how the Maple Leafs did Tavares dirty by “stripping him in the “C.” Well, some may argue that the press conference was staged. However, it seems like Tavares was on board with passing the captaincy torch to Matthews. He had a prepared statement outlining the events that took place that led to him agreeing that Matthews should be the next captain.
This has happened before, in 2015 with the San Jose Sharks. Joe Thornton passed the “C” to Joe Pavelski after blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. Blake Wheeler had it happen to him in 2021-22 before he ultimately left the Winnipeg Jets organization. It has been shown to work out well in some cases. In 1983, Edmonton Oilers’ captain Lee Fogolin decided that it was time to give the “C” to a younger, better Wayne Gretzky, and the next season the Oilers went on to win the Stanley Cup.
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That’s not to say that the same thing will happen with the Maple Leafs. However, sometimes it isn’t just about a different “voice” because there are lots of voices in the locker room. Sometimes it is just about how that person leads. Tavares was perceived by many in the media to be a silent leader and lead by example. Whereas, Matthews could be someone in the locker room that sets the bar for expectations. If he is going out on a nightly basis and scoring goals, blocking shots, and giving it 100%, then there is no excuse as to why the rest of the roster isn’t doing the same thing.
At the end of the day, it is an organizational decision to do what is best for the team. Matthews is hands down the best player on the team; he shows that on a nightly basis, and as a result, the front office felt it was time to make the switch. It hasn’t worked out as Tavares as the captain of the team. Yes, they have had great seasons but no solid success, and the team hopes that this will change with Matthews wearing the “C.”
