John Tavares has been named the new captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He becomes the first captain of the franchise since Dion Phaneuf in 2015-2016.
Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews were named alternate captains for the Leafs Wednesday night. Matthews had been rumoured to be in line for the "C", but a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an incident in Arizona over the summer may have forced the team's management to have second thoughts, depending on which analyst you ask.
Tavares previously served as captain of the New York Islanders from 2013 to 2018, before signing a long-term deal with Toronto. He is now officially the 22nd captain in Leafs' history, 25th if you count two separate stints as captain by two different players.
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