When news broke that the Toronto Maple Leafs were naming Auston Matthews as the team’s 26th captain in franchise history, a lot of the attention turned to how John Tavares was going to handle transitioning into his new role.
Handing over the captaincy while remaining on the team could be a tough spot for some but Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan feels it is something Tavares can handle — and has handled with ease. Shanahan spoke to the media following the Matthews unveiling and made it very clear he feels his team is in a very good spot with their new set up.
Shanahan rejected the notion that transferring the captaincy to Matthews would be a difficult task for Tavares.
“I disagree, I think that John is a cerebral guy and John saw it and understood it as well as we did, that the time was right,” Shanahan said.
“I’ve known the Tavares family, his Uncle from our lacrosse days, and I know what they’re made of. The kind of team players they are and they’re always thinking about what’s best for the team. So I wasn’t surprised at all to see John embrace the idea and concept. And as he said, he has one goal here and anything that he thinks can help pull the team further along, he wants to do it. I think John is a unique individual and wanted to be a part of that. He’ll certainly help Auston along the way as well.”
With Matthews being one of the best players in the league and already an established presence among the Maple Leafs’ dressing room, this transition could be a lot easier than some might expect. Matthews quickly became the face of the franchise after a historic debut and it was immediately known to Shanahan and company that this team would eventually be Matthews’ to lead.
“He (Matthews) came in game one as a very talented, young individual. As an 18-year-old to where he’s evolved throughout the years, taking steps, growth, maturity on and off the ice. His game has matured, and it’s the kind of thing you hope and expect when you’re drafting a player of that talent that they’re just going to continue to improve. I think he’s ready and the time is right.”
From all accounts, it’s become quite obvious this was the team’s decision to approach Tavares about the switch after another disappointing playoff run last season. With a candidate like Matthews waiting in the wings, it makes complete sense from the outside looking in and obviously within the decision-makers of the organization.
While Tavares gets set for his new role on the team, Shanahan confirmed that everyone was comfortable with the decision, throughout the dressing room and throughout the management group.
As far as why it was the right time for Matthews to take the torch, Shanahan confirmed Matthews has intangibles that don’t necessarily get talked about on a daily basis.
“Auston has the ability that people want to follow. Not that John didn’t have that, but we’re now drafting players who had posters of Auston Matthews on their wall when they were little kids. It’s not something he’s worked on, it’s something he was born with.”
Both players were born to be hockey players, and both players were born to be Maple Leafs. Captaincy, or not.
