Beyond the hottest news around town, the captaincy of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been discussed at length. Questions regarding which member of the current core will have the “C” placed on their jersey before the puck drops on Oct. 2 against the Ottawa Senators have been at the core of every media scrum.
According to recent reports, it appears that John Tavares will be named captain in the near future.
"I do think the #Leafs decided on Tavares a few days ago. Everything I've learned in the last 48-72 hours tells me that's the case."@FriedgeHNIC on the captaincy & why the team should name one if that was the plan @RusicSN590 @thegoldenmuzzy.
🎧: https://t.co/hpPUTNw6J7 pic.twitter.com/e5x2FXaFle
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) September 27, 2019
Whether that is before the season begins or they do it in a mid-season ceremony, the constant conversation around the captaincy will come to a close sometime in the next few months.
Elliotte Friedman does approach this topic in his radio hit with a sense of caution, making it seem more like just his opinion on what he has heard, rather than any concrete statement on who it will be.
But given the fact that there has been a buildup for the past couple of days more publicly that Tavares will named the 19th captain in franchise history, this makes sense to get it more out there.
Earlier on Friday morning, Tavares himself, as a result of his Hockey Training, recognized the status symbol that is being the Leafs’ captain.
John Tavares acknowledges the importance, prestige and responsibility tied to the role of captain with the Toronto Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/aNRKJj8hcB
— Yahoo Sports Canada (@YahooCASports) September 27, 2019
“I think we know the history and the tradition. What it would mean to the city, the fanbase, and the organization for what you’re representing. What an honour that is, something that you can’t take for granted,” said Tavares.
He might be hinting at himself as the next to have that honour, or he might be speaking in general terms. But Tavares is aware of what it would mean for the local media, the fans, and the organization.
The Maple Leafs have been without a captain since Dion Phaneuf was traded in the middle of the 2015-16 season. Since then, they have gone into a complete roster overhaul and thus going with only alternate captains as the core of this team develops.