Today the Toronto Maple Leafs held a press conference, making the news official. Auston Matthews was named captain of the Maple Leafs. This makes him the 26th captain in franchise history. In addition to that, he is the first American-born captain to ever wear the Maple Leaf. The press conference featured Matthews, as well as the now former captain, John Tavares, and general manager Brad Treliving.
Auston Matthews Officially Named as the Leafs 26th New Captain
In Treliving’s opening statements, he welcomed several guests to the presser, including ownership and management. But there were many others in attendance that he acknowledged including last season’s alternate captains Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly. As well, other notables in attendance were the likes of ex-captains of the Maple Leafs, Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour. But above all those guests, there were family members of the Tavares and Matthews families to witness the passing of the captaincy.
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 14, 2024
This is a massive change for the Maple Leafs. Even though it’s just a letter change on a sweater, it’s the message being sent to the locker room and the fans.
Passing on the ‘C’
After welcoming everyone to the event, Treliving addressed what fans and others have been theorizing. He explained how Tavares was completely on board with this decision and that there were no issues or drama in this transition. The former captain and general manager worked closely together to come up with a plan to give Auston the news. Treliving shared what Tavares said to him during their conversations. The veteran forward said that he knew this day would come, that Matthews would become captain of the Maple Leafs. In 2019, when Tavares arrived in Toronto, he was amazed by all the young talent in the room. The stars, Matthews, Marner, and William Nylander were all in the early stages of their career.
Now, things have changed. They are all leaders to this team in one way or another. Before Matthews became captain, he was an alternate captain with Marner, and even Nylander wore an ‘A’ for a game or two last season.
Matthews is the Man for the Job
During this announcement to make Matthews captain, it was clear that Treliving thinks highly of the superstar centre. The general manager nearly ran out of compliments to give to the new captain. He explained why he thought the Matthews deserved the captaincy and that it had nothing to do with Tavares’ contribution as a captain. He believed that it was the perfect time for the transition. Tavares agreed with this saying that it’s a new chapter for the 26-year-old, who is entering a new contract next season. Treliving said that what really makes Matthews a great player is the things that fans and media can’t see. It’s about his commitment to winning, his work ethic, and obviously his incredible skill.
He also shared that Matthews has slowly and increasingly been showing leadership qualities. An example of this is that sometimes uncomfortable things need to be said and Matthews has been enforcing that as of late. In addition to that, Treliving said, “I haven’t been around a more prepared athlete in my life,” some high praise from the general manager.
When Matthews got the call from Tavares to deliver the news, he said that he was shaking and got chills. He didn’t hesitate to accept the honour, privilege, and role of being the captain of the Leafs. Tavares admitted that he will never forget that conversation with Matthews and that he has his full support. The former Hart Trophy winner ended the presser by saying that the goal is to be a Leaf for life and to bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto.
The Maple Leafs are Changing
Despite this change of making Matthews captain, there are several signs that the Toronto Maple Leafs are changing. Firstly, it all starts with the general manager. That was when club president, Brendan Shanahan, moved on from Kyle Dubas and hired Treliving. Since then, philosophies have shifted. Treliving has more of a soft spot for physical and defensive hockey, and he made that a priority in the offseason.
One year later, Treliving and the rest of the management believed it was time to change up the coaching staff. They fired Sheldon Keefe after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They brought in former St. Louis Blues coach, and 2019 Stanley Cup champion, Craig Berube. He provides a different style than Keefe did. Berube will be tough on the star players and hold them accountable. He also likes to play a tough brand of hockey. Moreover, Berube makes defence a priority, a trait that he and Treliving have in common. On top of that, the Leafs got a whole new crew behind the bench, including the addition of Marc Savard to be Berube’s right-hand man.
Specifically for next season, there will also be a big change in personnel. For example, there is a new look tandem that sees Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz share the net (with a slight advantage to Woll). With the Stolarz signing, Treliving also added a handful of new defenders to the squad, including Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. This Leafs need more depth in certain spots on the roster, and it seems Treliving and Berube are on the same page.
Only time will tell what this new Leafs team can do, but one thing for sure is there has been some change.
Main photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
