The letter C is now on Auston Matthews'Jersey
Photo Credit: winnipeg.ctvnews.ca
On August 14, 2024, a historic day for the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise, Auston Matthews was announced as the new captain, making him the 26th captain of the historic hockey club. Prior to Matthews, John Tavares held the captaincy for the last 5 seasons since coming over from the Islanders in 2018. The Leafs held a press conference to pass the baton from Tavares to Matthews officially.
At 26 years old, Matthews has accomplished nearly everything possible for individual awards, making him the modern-day version of Alex Ovechkin. In his rookie season, Matthews took home the Calder Trophy. In the 2021-2022 season, despite playing only 73 games, he won the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay award, putting up 60 goals and 106 points. In 8 seasons, Matthews has already earned 3 Rocket Richard trophies, and this past season was his best in terms of goals, scoring 69.
Matthews' game has been consistently improving, establishing himself as a top 3 player in the NHL. It's only right for him to have the captaincy on his sweater. While Tavares was not a poor captain, it was time for a change, considering his game is on the decline at 33 years old and he is in the last year of his 7-year contract. As the Leafs look to bounce back from numerous playoff failures, a new leader is needed in the group. It has been since 1967 since the Leafs have won the Stanley Cup. The pressure of playing in Toronto is intense, and now with the captaincy on his jersey, Matthews will be facing more pressure representing a first-class franchise while maintaining an elite level of play on the ice.