On Wednesday, August 14th, 2024, the Toronto Maple Leafs introduced Auston Matthews as their 26th captain in franchise history during a press conference. This change in leadership came after former captain John Tavares decided to step down following a meeting with Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving shortly after their first-round playoff exit.
Treliving, who spent his first season observing the team closely, noticed that Matthews had naturally become a focal point for the players. Following the playoff elimination, Treliving and Tavares discussed the idea of transitioning the captaincy to Matthews, and Tavares supported the decision from the start.
As Tavares enters the final year of his contract, he likely understood this change was inevitable. While relinquishing the captaincy may not have been easy, Tavares has handled the situation with grace. During the press conference, former captains Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour were present as the Leafs acknowledged Tavares’ contributions as captain.
Joining them were current teammates Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, along with new head coach Craig Berube, GM Brad Treliving, team president Brendan Shanahan, and MLSE executives Larry Tanenbaum and Keith Pelley. Tavares’ sons were also there, sporting Matthews jerseys with the captain’s “C,” a gesture that deeply moved Matthews. With this transition, a new chapter begins for the Maple Leafs under Matthews’ leadership.
Notable Players Who Relinquished Their Captaincy
Captains sometimes step down for various reasons, such as expiring contracts or the arrival of a player deemed more suitable for the role. Here are a few notable examples:
– Dave Taylor (Los Angeles Kings): Taylor’s captaincy was transferred to Wayne Gretzky at the start of the 1989-90 season.
– Ron Francis (Hartford Whalers): Relinquished his captaincy in 1990-91 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
– Joe Sakic (Quebec Nordiques): Gave up the captaincy in 1991-92 but was later considered a co-captain before regaining full captaincy.
– Shayne Corson: Relinquished the captaincy twice, first with the Edmonton Oilers in 1994-95 and then with the St. Louis Blues in 1995-96.
– Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues): Relinquished his captaincy to Shayne Corson after the 1994-95 season.
– Trevor Linden (Vancouver Canucks): Stepped down in 1997, succeeded by Mark Messier.
– Alexei Yashin (Ottawa Senators): Relinquished his captaincy after one season, succeeded by Daniel Alfredsson.
– Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers): Relinquished his captaincy to Eric Desjardins in 1999-2000.
– Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning): Stepped down after the 2000-01 season, later regaining the captaincy in 2008.
– Adam Oates (Washington Capitals): Relinquished his captaincy in 2001-02 before being traded to the Boston Bruins.
– Mike Modano (Dallas Stars): Gave up his captaincy after the 2005-06 season to Brenden Morrow.
– Patrik Elias (New Jersey Devils): Stepped down after the 2006-07 season, succeeded by Jamie Langenbrunner.
– Patrick Marleau (San Jose Sharks): Relinquished his captaincy to Rob Blake after the 2008-09 season.
– Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks): Stepped down as captain after the 2009-10 season, succeeded by Henrik Sedin.
– Joe Thornton (San Jose Sharks): Relinquished his captaincy after the 2013-14 season, succeeded by Joe Pavelski in 2015-16.
– Dustin Brown (Los Angeles Kings): Relinquished his captaincy after the 2015-16 season, succeeded by Anze Kopitar.
– Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres): Relinquished his captaincy after the 2020-21 season, succeeded by Kyle Okposo in 2022-23.
– Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets): Relinquished his captaincy after the 2021-22 season, succeeded by Adam Lowry in 2023-24.