Following the torch-passing ceremony with John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leaf Auston Matthews has officially hit the ice as the team's new captain.
Auston Matthews is undeniably one of the most talented players in the league. In his last season, he recorded an astounding 69 goals and 38 assists in 81 regular season games. He is also the leader in multi-goal games since he entered the league.
Provided his incomparable goal-scoring ability, it was only a matter of time before he took over the captaincy. after they lost to the Boston Bruins early in the playoffs again, it seemed like something on the Maple Leafs snapped, resulting in some major discussions about the next steps.
Now, months after the hire of Craig Berube, Toronto made another bold change and finally passed the captaincy down from John Tavares to Auston Matthews.
"I got chills, honestly. I'm so honored and humbled. Since being drafted here eight years ago you- you realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto. To wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night, and it just means the world to do that, and to have support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff ownership, my family- it just means the world to me and I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto."
Not long after Jonh Tavares passed along the captaincy, Auston Matthews has already had his first skate as Toronto's new captain. Video footage of the 26-year-old smiling as he skates out onto the rink has already been shared widely, donning his new C-marked jersey.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still a Stanley Cup contender, and there is no doubt that Auston Matthews is ready to step up to the task. Whether or not it will be enough to turn around the team's fortune, only time will tell.
