John Tavares Breaks His Silence About His Lack Of Ice Time And New Role With The Toronto Maple Leafs

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Chris Gerics
November 2, 2024 (11:52)

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John Tavares has been given a lot of flak so far this season, but the former captain has taken his lack of ice time in stride, only focused on helping the team win.

It was a bit of rough start for John Tavares at least in terms of production at the beginning of the season, not only seeing his minutes drop by a significant margin but also having his captaincy removed before the season started. People wondered if this was the end of the once-dominant Tavares not only in a Maple Leafs uniform but for his career.

But to John Tavares it's just another day at the office, and he's completely unbothered by the lack of captaincy and the lack of ice time, only focused on trying to help the team win wherever he can:

"Yeah, I had a lot of people reach out, which was obviously really supportive and great. Which was awesome," Tavares told me during a sit-down chat. "I don't look at it as a negative. For me, it's a new challenge. It's a great way to grow, and for me to keep pushing forward and keep getting better. And maybe it's going to be a little less front and centre for me than when you're the captain of the Leafs."

His teammates also noticed that nothing much is different from Tavares' attitude, as he goes about his business as he always does:

"He's been incredible," adds Matthew Knies. "He's been everything we needed him to be - good on draws, good around the net, tips and getting shots in. It's remarkable. You know, I love watching it. He's a guy I can learn a lot from. So, I'm excited to see what he can do the rest of the season."

"He's hungrier than I've ever seen him," Bobby McMann says. "He just loves hockey, and he wants to win so bad."

It goes to show just how much of a true veteran Tavares is, knowing his role isn't what it used to be, and adapting to whatever head coach Craig Berube throws at him. Third line? A night off? Water boy? Doesn't matter to Tavares as long as the team gets the win.

Having someone like Tavares who is still capable of causing offensive damage and who doesn't complain about playing too much or too little is the leadership Toronto needs, setting an example to the younger players that you can make a difference even with limited time. He's picked it up as of late too, scoring 8 points in his last 5 games, including a hat-trick against Winnipeg. Playing with William Nylander and Max Pacioretty has brought new life into Tavares, a massive boost to the Maple Leafs offense and morale.

If you ask John Tavares if he's worried about his playing time, or the fact he's no longer captain he'll probably smile, chuckle, and talk about how important winning is, and the main goal is lifting Lord Stanley's Cup. It's just how Tavares rolls, and why he's going to have an everlasting legacy in Toronto.