On Sunday night, John Tavares became just the 12th active player to reach the 1,200-game mark in his NHL career in a losing effort for the Toronto Maple Leafs. While three straight goals by the Carolina Hurricanes stole the milestone night from Tavares, the 35-year-old did tally his ninth goal of the season marking the first time a player has scored in his 1,200th career game while donning the Maple Leaf.
In the loss, Tavares also became just the 137th player to reach the games played milestone, tying another former Maple Leafs player – Owen Nolan – at the 1,200-game mark.
Tavares’ Milestone Game is A Moment to Reflect on His Journey
The milestone game also acts as a reminder of how dominant Tavares has been over his career. From a first overall pick in 2009 to joining his childhood team as a free agent, Tavares isn’t a name that’s brought up int he top echelon of players in hockey circles today as he once was.
In fact, Tavares was left off Team Canada at the 4 Nations tournament last season, even while on route to 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games in 2024-25. If nothing else, he’s been a consistent offensive player over his, now, illustrious career.
As for his time with the Maple Leafs, he’s been a major role player who has provided key goals in key moments while also opening his door as a veteran leader on the team for the younger kids coming in – like Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan.
Tavares Leading By Example in Latest Contract
His leadership, however, has extended far beyond what he says in the dressing room or has done during the 1,200 games he suited up for. His leadership has shown up as being one of the funny guys in the room – according to Scott Laughton – and his recent contract negotiations with the Maple Leafs in which he took a major pay cut to stay in blue and white.
Surely, on the open market, Tavares could have landed a bigger contract – whether it be more money or a longer term. But this past offseason he secured a four-year extension with an annual average value of just under $4.4 million, setting the stage for other Maple Leafs to take lower hits in the coming seasons to keep the core in tact. That’s the type of leadership the Maple Leafs were looking for when they brought him in.
Tavares’ Run With the Maple Leafs Far From Over
Now, 531 games in the bag with the Maple Leafs, Tavares has played at a near point-per-game pace and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down in 2025-26. As of Tuesday, he had nine goals and 21 points in 16 games for the blue and white.
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While he may represent an older commodity on the team, his efforts have allowed him to continue to add to his individual milestones while maintaining the team’s overall goal of a Stanley Cup berth. For him, with three years remaining on his contract, 600 goals isn’t out of the question and nor is 1,300 games – marks that would surely secure his place in hockey history.
That said, with 1,200 games officially under his belt, Tavares has already pushed his way into household fame when it comes to hockey circles, as the 137th player with 1,200 games played, the 47th player with 503 goals and the 61st player in NHL history with 1,135 points. Still, the milestones are far from done for the Tavares as he continues to climb the ranks.
