Matthews named Maple Leafs captain, replaces Tavares
Matthews named Maple Leafs captain, replaces Tavares
Center is 1st U.S.-born player to hold role for Toronto; leads NHL in goals since entering League
© Mark Blinch/NHLI
TORONTO — Auston Matthews was named the 26th captain in Toronto Maple Leafs history on Wednesday.
He is the first United States-born player to be captain in the franchise’s 107-year history and the second non-Canadian player hold the role; Mats Sundin of Sweden was captain from 1997-2008.
The 26-year-old center replaces John Tavares, who had been captain since Oct. 2, 2019.
Matthews was born in San Ramon, California, but grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, after his family moved there when he was an infant.
Selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Maple Leafs, Matthews had an NHL career-high 107 points last season, including 69 goals, which was the most in a season since 1995-96, when Mario Lemieux also scored 69 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Matthews has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal-scorer three times (2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-24). When he scored 60 goals in 2021-22, he became the first U.S.-born player to hit that mark. That same season, he won the Hart Trophy as the League’s most valuable player and the Ted Lindsay Award, given annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by members of the NHL Players’ Association. He won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year (2016-17).
Watch the Toronto Maple Leafs’ live press conference
Since joining the NHL in the 2016-17 season, Matthews has scored at least 34 goals in each season and leads all NHL players with 368 goals, 40 more than Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals (328), who is second. Matthews is also eighth in points over that span with 649.
He ranks third in goals in Maple Leafs history behind former captains Sundin (420) and Darryl Sittler (389). Matthews is sixth all-time in points in Toronto history behind Sundin (987), Sittler (916), Dave Keon (858), Borje Salming (768) and George Armstrong (713). All but Salming are former Maple Leafs captains.
Matthews is entering the first season of a four-year, $53 million contract ($13.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Maple Leafs on Aug. 23, 2023.
The Maple Leafs have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all eight of Matthews’ seasons, but have advanced past the opening round just once, which came in 2022-23. He has 48 points (23 goals, 25 assists) in 55 playoff games.
He is the fifth youngest captain in the NHL behind Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), who are 24, and Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens) and Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils), who are 25.
There are six teams in the NHL without a captain: the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Utah Hockey Club.
