Toronto Maple Leafs name Auston Matthews as captain
Next time the Toronto Maple Leafs play a hockey game, star centre Auston Matthews will have a ‘C’ on his jersey.
Matthews, 26, was named the team’s new captain in a press conference on Wednesday. He takes over from John Tavares, who had held the captaincy since 2019.
"I got chills, honestly. I'm so honoured and humbled," Matthews said at a press conference announcing his captaincy. "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 night.
"It just means the world."
Matthews signed a four-year, US$53 million contract extension last August that kicks in for the upcoming season. Tavares, meanwhile, is scheduled to hit free agency next summer.
Tavares was present at the news conference and said he supported the decision.
The 33-year-old said he called Matthews in late July to inform him of the captaincy switch.
"You're talking about one of the best players in the game of hockey," Tavares said. "It's amazing how he pushes the team, I think a lot of times without even himself realizing it, you can tell how he inspires others with his talent, work ethic."
Over eight seasons with the Maple Leafs, Matthews has collected plenty of hardware. He won the 2017 Calder Trophy as top rookie, the 2022 Hart Trophy as MVP and is a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy recipient, including last year when he scored a career-high 69 goals.
But he is still looking to add a Stanley Cup to his collection. In April, the Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs for the sixth time in eight seasons, a seven-game defeat to the Boston Bruins in which Matthews managed just one goal while battling injury.
Now, the team is hoping a leadership shakeup can change its post-season fortunes.
"People want to follow him. He walks into a room and people are gravitating to him," Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said of Matthews. "We've had the distinct pleasure to be led by John for the last number of years, a great captain.
"I couldn't think of a better person for him to bestow this honour on and pass on to than Auston."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa has sold its stake in Air Canada: sources
Two senior federal government sources have confirmed to CTV News that the federal government has sold its stake in Air Canada. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the government purchased a six per cent stake in the airline for $500 million as part of a bailout package.
Premiers disagree on whether Canada should cut off energy supply to U.S. if Trump moves ahead with tariffs
Some of Canada's premiers appeared to disagree with Ontario Premier Doug Ford on his approach to retaliatory measures, less than a day after he threatened to cut off the province's energy supply to the U.S. if president-elect Donald Trump follows through on his threat of punishing tariffs.
BREAKING B.C. carjacking suspect illegally crossed U.S. border before arrest, police say
Authorities have arrested a suspect who allegedly carjacked a pickup truck in B.C.'s Lower Mainland on Thursday, then illegally crossed the U.S. border.
She took a DNA test for fun. Police used it to charge her grandmother with murder in a cold case
According to court documents, detectives reopened the cold case in 2017 and then worked with a forensics company to extract DNA from Baby Garnet's partial femur, before sending the results to Identifinders International.
Travis Vader, killer of Lyle and Marie McCann, denied day parole
The man who killed an Alberta couple in 2010 has been denied day parole.
McDonald's employee who called 911 in CEO's shooting is eligible for reward, but it will take time
More than 400 tips were called into the New York Police Department's Crime Stoppers tip line during the five-day search for a masked gunman who ambushed and fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.
Man who set fires inside Calgary's municipal building lost testicle during arrest: ASIRT
Two Calgary police officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident that saw a suspect lose a testicle after being shot with an anti-riot weapon.
Country star Morgan Wallen sentenced in chair-throwing case
Country music star Morgan Wallen on Thursday pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour counts of reckless endangerment for throwing a chair from the rooftop of a six-storey bar in Nashville and nearly hitting two police officers with it.
Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' concerts cost Toronto Police about $1.9 million
Remember Taylor Swift's police motorcades while she performed her six-show series in Toronto last month? Toronto police revealed on Thursday that the popstar's sold-out performances, including her motorcade, cost them about 1.9 million.