As the Toronto Maple Leafs took down the division rival Florida Panthers Wednesday night and clinched a playoff berth, veteran John Tavares added another goal to his impressive tally this season.
After Florida opened the scoring early in the second, Tavares scored the tying goal halfway through the period, re-directing William Nylander’s fake shot pass to make it 1-1. The goal marks his 36th of the year, now just two tucks away from tying his second-best career season of 38 goals set in 2014-15.
Speaking to the media after the win, Craig Berube talked about John Tavares’ leadership and how he makes his job as head coach an easy one.
“You love the professionalism and the mindset he has day in and day out,” said Berube. “He’s almost like having another coach around, just to ask him things and what his thoughts are.”
In his 16 seasons played in the NHL, Tavares has served a leadership role in 14, including 10 spent as captain across two different franchises. A quick look at his EliteProspects shows a page littered with A’s and C’s, including stints with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL and Team Canada at multiple levels. All to say, he absolutely exudes leadership qualities, and that extends beyond just a locker room presence as the 34-year-old continues to put up strong numbers.
“It’s just the preparation daily, it never changes,” said Berube. “It’s always this routine, and it allows him to be successful at a later age in life.”
Tavares currently has 36 goals and 34 assists for 70 points in 68 games played. If he keeps up this pace, the Mississauga native is set to finish above a point per game for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Most impressive perhaps is how he has kicked into high gear specifically to finish off the season, with nine goals and 14 points over his last eight games. Despite his recent strong production, he continues to stay level-headed, even if he acknowledges that it doesn’t make for the most exciting post-game quotes.
“It always feels good to contribute … but I don’t try to get too down or too high,” he said, speaking to media after Wednesday’s match. “I continue to focus on playing well and try not to get too caught up in all that. It’s really boring, but I think it’s putting me in a good spot mentally.”
While future contract questions have circled Tavares all season long, he is certainly earning his salary right now as he continues to be one of the team’s most productive offensive weapons. With all the leadership qualities he displays, the question becomes if his future in hockey may one day lead him behind the bench.
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