Toronto's captain — one-time Stanley Cup Finals player and the most celebrated Maple Leafs signing in decades.
John Tavares was born in Mississauga, Ontario in 1990. New York Islanders selected him first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. His career has produced 416 goals and 536 assists for 952 career points. He was selected to six All-Star games. He signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 2018 — a free agent signing that generated the largest reaction in Canadian hockey since Wayne Gretzky's trade to Los Angeles in 1988. He won Olympic gold with Canada in 2014. He scored 47 goals for Toronto in 2018-19. He became the Maple Leafs' captain in 2019. His career is one of the NHL's most discussed in terms of the gap between individual production and team success — he has been among the league's most productive centres throughout his career while the Islanders and Leafs have struggled in the playoffs. His importance to Canadian hockey culture is amplified by playing for the most scrutinised franchise in the sport.
All-Star 6x
Career Honours
- All-Star 6x
- All-NHL Second Team
- Olympic Gold Medal (2014)