The Toronto Maple Leafs will be making a major change to their captaincy.
Star forward Auston Matthews will replace veteran John Tavares in the role, Sportsnet can confirm.
The 26-year-old will be the Maple Leafs’ 26th captain in franchise history. It marks the first time the team has ever had an American captain and just the second time they have had a non-Canadian captain — the other being Swede Mats Sundin.
He takes over from 33-year-old Tavares, who was named captain in Oct. 2019. Tavares took on the role just over a year after joining the team as a free agent in the summer of 2018. The Mississauga native is about to enter the final season of his seven-year, $77 million contract.
The official announcement is expected on Wednesday, with the team announcing Monday that they will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. ET.
More to come.
