Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares celebrated his 35th birthday on Saturday, doing what he loves most: playing the game of hockey.

The practice session was the last before the Leafs play their first preseason game on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. It concluded with a scrimmage that only had two goals, with both coming off the stick of Nick Robertson.

Tavares’ birthday usually aligns with the start of training camp, so he is accustomed to celebrating his big day after an intense practice session. He told reporters afterwards that he had a nice morning with his family and kept things quiet around the room regarding his birthday.

“Probably not, just more fatherhood and try to relax from the first few days here,” he said when asked if he would have a cake when he returns home. “ It’s always one of the first days at camp, my birthday, so there’s not too much celebrating or really enjoying yourself. I think it’s trying to get yourself back into the swing of things, adapt, and trying to recover. But I got a lot of happy birthdays, well wishes from many people, so it’s been a good day so far.”

There are plenty of reasons for Tavares to feel good about life these days as he prepares for his 17th season in the NHL. He is fresh off a productive season where he flirted with 40 goals and was among the Leafs’ most productive players. While he could have secured himself another big payday on the open market, he instead opted to re-commit with his hometown team for the next four years at a generous discount that helps free up room for the team to add.

Above all else, his love of hockey has never wavered, and he remains as committed as ever to continue to improve as he strives to win his first Stanley Cup.

“I just really enjoy playing. I think the feeling I have playing the game is the same as I had as a kid when I first was starting out and falling in love with hockey,” he said. I  just enjoy everything about it. The tough days, the challenges, the grind, everything I gotta do to be at the level that I expect to be at and the way I want to impact the game and help the team. It’s all a part of it and I enjoy every bit of it.”

As far as what he worked on over the summer, Tavares noted he worked on further improving his strengths, fine-tuned his skating, and played without the puck. He stressed the importance of maintaining consistent play and executing at a high level in order to ensure his stay in the NHL can be as long as possible.

It’s his never-ending drive to compete and improve that has made him become such an embodiment of the Leafs organization in recent years. Head Coach Craig Berube emphasized how Tavares wanted to stay in Toronto, while Matthew Knies says the alternate captain is one of the first people he thinks of when he sees the Leafs logo.

“It means a lot, especially when it comes from the people that you work with every day, that you come together and become a family, really,” he said. “It’s a tremendous group that we have with all the guys, and certainly with our staff and from ownership right on down. It’s an amazing place to play, amazing history and tradition. Trying to do something special here that hasn’t been done in a long time. So it’s an amazing opportunity and you don’t take it for granted.”

If the Leafs are going to take it all the way with Tavares on their roster, part of what will make that happen is the strong chemistry he has when lined up with William Nylander. The two have been sharing a line since training camp began, and all signs point to them linking up when the regular season commences on October 8th.

“I don’t think Willy’s individualistic. I think he’s a game breaker; he’s a special player and we’re lucky to have him,” Tavares said. “Like any player, there’s evolution, growth, development, diversity, success along the way, and continuing to mature and grow. You can consistently see that in his game, and not just on the ice but from leadership aspects off the ice and the impact he’s making in a lot of areas that not all of you see. He is tremendous in his drive to be a great player, to be a difference maker on a nightly basis, and  is as good as any player I’ve seen.”

At the time of filing, who will be joining them on that line remains a mystery, as Berube has yet to fully settle on the lineup he likes. One player who may be a long shot to land that role but certainly has the talent to achieve it is Easton Cowan, whom Tavares has noticed how much the young player has matured over the last year.

“ He just seems a lot more comfortable in what every day’s gonna bring so far,” he said. “Has a much better understanding of just what training camp’s all about, playing at the NHL level, and what the standard is, the expectations are. Not trying to do too much, but having just naturally let his talent and his skillset come out just through his work ethic.”