John Tavares Reveals How he Really Felt About the Toronto Maple Leafs Taking the Captaincy From Him
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares had his captaincy given to Auston Matthews in the offseason which for a lot of people was quite controversial.
During the summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the controversial decision to name Auston Matthews as their captain thus stripping John Tavares of the honor.
For many, this was a huge move that wasn't exactly done the correct way. After all, how could you strip someone of the captaincy?
Tavares had done nothing wrong, but at the end of the day, the Leafs wanted to give it to Matthews, who is set up for a long career in Toronto.
John Tavares on not being the Toronto Maple Leafs captain anymore
Today, it was announced that John Tavares was being nominated for the Bill Masterton trophy which is awarded to a player who demonstrated perseverance and dedication.
While speaking to The Hockey News about all of this, Tavares was asked about losing the captaincy and his answer about how it affected his game was fascinating.
"I never looked at it as something that was going to change my approach or how I lead or how I play and how I expect to come in and the level that I need to play at and just your dedication, work ethic, I think my enjoyment and passion for the game."
"I just took it head on, really believed it was the right thing to do. I didn't worry about what people were saying or what opinions that were going on, just try to do the right thing and go about my business that I always have, and I expect myself to be at a very high level and help contribute."
"I just took it head on, really believed it was the right thing to do. I didn't worry about what people were saying or what opinions that were going on, just try to do the right thing and go about my business that I always have, and I expect myself to be at a very high level and help contribute."
Overall, you have to appreciate John Tavares' mentality here as he could have been upset with the team.
Not to mention, he is a free agent in the summer and if he was really mad, he could just up and leave which would be a disaster.
However, it seems like he is committed to the cause and wants to see the next generation thrive, which is really beautiful to see.
At the end of the day, Tavares is a really great player and the Leafs should feel lucky to have him on board.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 9 | 208 ANSWERS John Tavares Reveals How he Really Felt About the Toronto Maple Leafs Taking the Captaincy From Him Do you believe John Tavares should still be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 128 | 61.5 % |
| NO | 80 | 38.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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