Top Leafs moments of 2024: When Auston Matthews was named captain

The Summer of 2024 was a passing of the torch for a couple of reasons. While the switch from Sheldon Keefe to Craig Berube behind the bench was a big one, none held a candle to John Tavares passing off the captaincy to Auston Matthews.

Tavares was named captain of the team one year after he signed a seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs, and while there was always speculation that the captaincy would eventually belong to Matthews, I don’t know how many people were expecting it to happen before Tavares’ contract was up. But it did, and the entire process was gracious from all parties.

“I got chills, honestly,” Matthews said. “I’m so honoured and humbled since being drafted here eight years ago. You realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto, to wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night. It just means the world to do that. To have the support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff, ownership, my family, it just means the world to me. I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto.”

Tavares acknowledged that there had been discussions about moving on from his reign as captain, but he was supportive of Matthews the entire way.

“This decision is definitely not about whether I’ve succeeded or failed, whether I’m capable or that my time has passed,” Tavares said. “I feel stronger than ever in my ability to complete, play at a high level and make significant contributions through my leadership. This decision is a recognition of a maturation of a person, who has shown a skill set that is special, unique and who has a relentless drive to win. In that, I think Auston can become more and he is ready for this honour and responsibility. With me passing on the captaincy, it will allow Auston to fully embrace the leader that he is and have an even greater impact on the team. I’ll be able continue to lead with the way that I’ve been doing and give Auston my full support.”

The change clearly hasn’t affected Tavares at all, with 18 goals and 37 points in 36 games so far in 2023-24. He’s dipped his feet into the fountain of youth a little bit and has taken his play up a notch. Matthews, meanwhile, has struggled with the injury bug to start the 2024-25 season, but by all accounts, he’s done an excellent job in his new role as captain. We’ll see if there are any noticeable differences when the playoffs roll around.