Auston Matthews was formally announced as the 26th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history. It’s a natural development for the club to make during a summer full of personnel changes.
Craig Berube will be coaching Matthews for the first time this fall and while he’s still getting to know his players, it’s clear that Toronto’s superstar earned his respect from afar and during their interactions this summer.
“Influence. Obviously, the great player that he is,” Berube said, when asked what will make Matthews a great captain. “It’s his work ethic off the ice, how he prepares, day in and day out. He’s an elite level in my opinion in that department. I’ve witnessed it first-hand. Constantly trying to work and get better. He’s a team-first guy, he’s the type of the guy who will take care of his teammates like John Tavares did, and that’s what makes a good captain.”
Berube made it clear that Matthews will be one of several leaders and doesn’t need to change anything about his game or personality to take on the weight of the captaincy.
“Auston is going to learn on the way. He has learned a lot from John Tavares and other leaders in this organization that they’ve had. He just needs to be himself and go out and play the game at a high level like he does. Obviously, there are other things about being the captain that you have to take care of, but those are all things we’ve talked about.”
Matthews is many ways, may be a dream for Berube, who has preached defensive responsibility and adherence to a three-zone structure in his media availabilities this summer. He’s entering his age-27 season as the NHL’s premier goal-scorer and one of the marquee two-way threats in the game. Matthews’ captaincy will be one of the focal points of Berube’s first season with the Maple Leafs and it appears that they’re both ready to hit the ground running with training camp on the horizon.
