There was a lot that could have been on John Tavares’s聽mind through his seventh season with the Maple Leafs.
He was no longer captain, having passed the C on to Auston Matthews. He was in聽the last year of his contract, with no guarantee he would get an extension. And the contract itself was under investigation by the Canada Revenue Agency, challenging that his initial $15-million signing bonus wasn’t taxed properly.
None of it has proven to be a distraction.
Tavares was the NHL’s second star for March after scoring 13 goals for the first time in a calendar month.聽
Tavares was the NHL’s second star for March after scoring 13 goals for the first time in a calendar month.聽
The 34-year-old is having close to a career year in terms of his offence. His commitment to the game and his dedication to his fitness have never been in doubt. And for those reasons, the 海角社区官网chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association has made Tavares the Maple Leafs’ nominee for the Bill Masterton Award.
鈥淚 love what I do,鈥 Tavares said of his approach to the game. 鈥淚 feel like it’s an amazing opportunity to do something that you first fell in love with as a kid. I feel like a kid every day, getting to play a sport that I love and I get to do it in a tremendous place where I’m from.
鈥淓very day is really exciting and you can’t beat it. So I’m very grateful for that.鈥
Tavares isn’t the first player to be asked to give up the captaincy. The transition isn’t always easy, but Tavares didn’t skip a beat.
鈥淭here’s a lot of thought behind it,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here’s a lot of things that go through your head, but you try to do the right thing and what you feel is right for the team to help the team win.
鈥淵ou recognize the situation, the scenario and what Auston means to this team, the person he is and the player that he is. It made a lot of sense that the time was right for him take the reins and be the captain.
鈥淚 never looked at it as something that was going to change my approach, or how I lead or how I play.鈥
His legal battle with the CRA is tied up in legalese that could take years to sort out.
鈥淚t’s a process,鈥 Tavares said. 鈥淭he people that I have around me understand that world a lot better than I do. It’ll get taken care of and, however it goes, you just kind of keep moving forward.鈥
The raw numbers are just part of the story when projecting how many goals are in Matthews’ future.
The raw numbers are just part of the story when projecting how many goals are in Matthews’ future.
Tavares’s season has been so strong 鈥 he has a chance at scoring 40 goals for the second time in his career 鈥 that it’s hard to imagine the Leafs without him. He has been up front about wanting an extension, while understanding that the team wants to wait until after the playoffs, and perhaps after deciding on Mitch Marner’s fate, before dealing with his future.
鈥淭hat stuff is outside the boards,鈥 Tavares said. 鈥淭he mindset of how I play, how I approach the game doesn’t change. And I think that goes back to just my enjoyment, my passion for the game.
鈥淥bviously playing in the NHL at this level, we get paid very well and I’ve been very fortunate throughout my career. I’m in a pretty good spot. I have a lot of trust and belief that it’ll all work out.鈥
Each of the PHWA鈥檚 32 chapters selects a Masterton candidate, with leaguewide voting to follow after the regular season. Recent Leafs nominees have been Ilya Samsonov (2024), Mark Giordano (2023) and聽Ondrej Kase (2022). Jason Blake is the only Leaf to have won the award; he didn’t miss a game in the 2007-08 season after receiving treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer.
Bill Masterton played for the Minnesota North Stars and died of a brain injury suffered in a game on Jan. 13, 1968. The award in his name honours the player who 鈥渂est exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.鈥
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