This is a good article. Click here for more information.

John Tavares

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the ice hockey player. For his uncle, the lacrosse player, see John Tavares (lacrosse).

John Tavares
John Tavares 2018-03-03 19530.jpg
Tavares with the New York Islanders in 2018
Born (1990-09-20) September 20, 1990 (age 31)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Toronto Maple Leafs
New York Islanders
SC Bern
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 1st overall, 2009
New York Islanders
Playing career 2009–present

John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, where he spent nine seasons and served as captain for five seasons.

Previously, Tavares competed at the major junior level as a member of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before being traded to the London Knights at the 2009 OHL trading deadline along with Michael Del Zotto. Tavares broke into the OHL after gaining "exceptional player" status[1] at age 14, allowing the Generals to select him in the OHL Priority Draft as an underage player in 2005. Tavares was named the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Rookie of the Year in 2006 and CHL Player of the Year in 2007. In 2009, he finished the season with a career total of 215 goals, breaking Peter Lee's OHL record by two.

Tavares was the focus of an unsuccessful push to have the NHL's draft rules changed to allow him to participate in the 2008 Entry Draft, as well as an attempt to allow him to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a 17-year-old in 2007. Tavares was ranked as the top prospect for the 2009 Draft by both the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and International Scouting Services.

Tavares has represented Canada at five International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)-sanctioned events, including the 2010 and 2011 World Championships. At the under-20 level, he won gold medals at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was named the most valuable player of the 2009 tournament after scoring eight goals and 15 points in six games. He also participated in the 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships, but failed to medal. Additionally, Tavares represented Team Ontario at the 2006 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and 2007 Super Series. On January 7, 2014, he was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team, winning a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics despite an injury preventing him from participating in the final two games.

Early career

Tavares was born on September 20, 1990 in Mississauga, Ontario, to Barbara and Joe Tavares, who are of Polish and Portuguese descent, respectively. His maternal grandparents, Bolesław and Josephine Kowal, immigrated from Poland to Sudbury, Ontario, and his paternal grandparents Manuel and Dorotea Tavares immigrated from Portugal to Toronto, Ontario. At a very young age, Tavares moved to Oakville, Ontario. This is where he was first exposed to minor hockey through the Minor Oaks Hockey Association.[2] Tavares also played soccer and lacrosse, and his highly competitive nature often led him to fight with other players.[3] Tavares excelled at lacrosse, following in the footsteps of his uncle John Tavares, the all-time scoring leader in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and was a ball boy for his uncle's NLL team, the Buffalo Bandits.[4][5] The younger Tavares credits his uncle with teaching him the importance of remaining unselfish, stating what he learned by following his uncle with the Bandits has made him better both as a person and a hockey player.[6] Many skills he learned in lacrosse—such as spinning off checks and battling in traffic—transferred to ice hockey and improved Tavares' abilities as a goal scorer.[4]

In Oakville, Tavares attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School.[5] He lived five minutes from Sam Gagner, who later signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers, and the two quickly established a friendship.[4] Gagner's father, former NHL player Dave Gagner, built a backyard ice rink on which Tavares spent much of his time honing ice hockey skills.[4] In the OHL, Tavares placed an emphasis on his education, earning honours as well as the Oshawa Generals' Scholastic Player of the Year in 2007–08.[6] Tavares also spends some of his time working with the Special Olympics.[7]

Tavares showed such promise as a hockey player that when he was seven, his parents moved him up one age group and he began playing with older children.[3] From there, he moved on to the Mississauga Braves of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). After playing the 1998–99 season with the Braves' novice team, Tavares moved to the Mississauga Senators of the GTHL the following season.[8] With the Senators' AAA minor atom team, Tavares won the GTHL minor atom championship in the 1999–2000 season.[9] Tavares eventually moved to the Toronto Marlboros of the GTHL. During the 2003–04 season Tavares was teammates with his friend Sam Gagner, and scored 95 goals and 187 points in 90 games to lead the Marlboros' bantam team to the 2004 Bantam AAA Provincial Hockey Championships, where the Marlboros defeated Drew Doughty and the London Jr. Knights 5–0 in the championship game.[10] Tavares scored one goal in the game and was named the tournament's top forward.[10][11] The following season, Tavares joined the Marlboros' minor midget team, where he recorded 91 goals and 158 points in 72 games.[12] For his achievements, Tavares shared the Buck Houle Award with Bryan Cameron, "in recognition of outstanding on ice performance, leadership and loyalty".[13] During this season, he also played 16 games with the Milton Icehawks of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL), during which he recorded 11 goals and 23 points.[14] Tavares' debut with the Icehawks came while he was only 13, making him one of the youngest players to ever play junior hockey.[5]

Playing career

Junior

A hockey player, wearing a white Oshawa Generals jersey, stands ready to take a faceoff.
Tavares takes a face-off during the 2006–07 OHL season. During that season he was selected as an OHL representative for the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge.

Tavares petitioned to gain eligibility to play major junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the spring of 2005. As OHL rules did not allow for players under age 15 to be drafted,[14] the OHL introduced an "exceptional player" clause, allowing the 14-year-old Tavares to be drafted one year sooner than he would otherwise have been eligible.[15] Consequently, Tavares is the youngest player to ever be drafted in the OHL,[16] although Bobby Orr was signed and had played at a younger age.[15] The Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the umbrella organization which governs major junior hockey in Canada, sent a proposal to Hockey Canada recommending that the rule be expanded across junior hockey, which eventually was granted. To date, only five other players—Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, Sean Day, Joe Veleno and Shane Wright—have been granted the same status.[15][17]

The Oshawa Generals held the first pick in the 2005 draft, and they selected Tavares, earning him the Jack Ferguson Award, which is given to the player picked first overall in the OHL Priority Selection.[18] Tavares played his first OHL game on September 23, 2005, scoring his first OHL goal in a game held just three days after his 15th birthday.[19][20] He showed he could play in the OHL immediately, scoring ten goals in his first nine games with the Generals,[21] and finished the 2005–06 season with 77 points, including 45 goals. Tavares was named to the OHL's all-rookie team, and won both the Emms Family Award and CHL Rookie of the Year awards as the top first-year player in both the OHL and CHL respectively.[22]

As a 16-year-old in 2006–07, Tavares was selected to represent the OHL for two games in January for the annual ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, including one game in Oshawa. Later that month, on January 25, 2007, Tavares registered a seven-point night in a 9–6 win against the Windsor Spitfires. He scored four goals and three assists, including his 50th goal of the season in his 44th game.[23] Towards the end of the season, on March 16, 2007, Tavares recorded his 70th and 71st goals of the season, breaking Wayne Gretzky's OHL record for most goals by a 16-year-old.[24] He was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the league, and named the CHL Player of the Year.[22]

Tavares scored 40 goals in 59 games for the Generals during the 2007–08 season, while his 118 points was placed him third in OHL scoring.[25] Tavares led the OHL in scoring until he missed several games to represent the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[26] As Tavares was participating in the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, it was speculated that the Generals were ready to trade him to the London Knights.[27] Tavares' future with the Generals had been questioned since the beginning of the season as the Generals were not expected to seriously contend for the championship, while the Knights were among the league leaders.[27] The deal was made official on January 8, 2009, as Oshawa sent Tavares, Michael Del Zotto and Darryl Borden to the Knights in exchange for Scott Valentine, Christian Thomas, Michael Zador and six draft picks.[28]

A hockey player, wearing a red Oshawa Generals jersey, stands in full gear on ice with stick held across his waist.
Tavares with Oshawa Generals in November 2008. He was later traded to the London Knights in January 2009.

Tavares made his debut with the Knights on January 11 against the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors.[29] Making his return to Oshawa at the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game as captain of Team Orr, he recorded an assist in a 6–1 win over Team Cherry, but injured his shoulder after Zack Kassian of the Peterborough Petes checked him behind the net.[30] On March 8, 2009, Tavares set the OHL goal-scoring record with his 214th goal, passing the previous record held by Peter Lee.[31] The next day, he received his third OHL Player of the Week recognition of the season.[32]

Professional

Although he was born five days after the September 15 cutoff date for eligibility in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, there was a significant effort made to allow Tavares into the Draft. Following his 72-goal campaign in 2006–07, Tavares' agents asked the NHL and NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) to make an exception for Tavares similar to the one the OHL had made in 2005.[33] The attempt was unsuccessful and Tavares was required to wait until 2009 to participate in the NHL Entry Draft.[34] In October 2007, it was reported that then-Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr. had offered the 17-year-old Tavares a spot with the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.[35] However, like the NHL, the AHL declined to amend its by-laws and Tavares subsequently returned to the OHL.[35]

The NHL International Scouting Services ranked Tavares as the top draft prospect in the world, ahead of defenceman Victor Hedman and forwards Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson and Matt Duchene in its March 2009 update.[36] The 2009 draft class was led by Tavares, who was selected first overall by the New York Islanders.[37]

New York Islanders (2009–2018)

Tavares as a rookie with the New York Islanders in the 2009–10 season.

On July 15, 2009, Tavares signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders.[38] His first NHL game was in the pre-season in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. He spent 22 minutes and 50 seconds on the ice alongside linemates Doug Weight and Sean Bergenheim in the Islanders' 3–2 loss.[39] Weight, a veteran NHLer, said, "John's going to be a big piece of [an Islander rebuilding effort]."[39] Tavares scored his first career NHL goal and assist in his first ever professional game, scoring on a backhander against Marc-André Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3, 2009.[40]

Tavares led NHL rookies in scoring throughout much of his first season. In December 2009, he scored five consecutive Islanders goals over a four-game span to tie the club record for most consecutive goals by one player. He scored an empty-net goal against the Atlanta Thrashers on December 3, and both Islanders goals on both December 9 against the Philadelphia Flyers and December 10 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The record was originally set by Bryan Trottier, when he scored five consecutive goals in a 1982 game against Philadelphia.[41] On March 17, 2010, Tavares scored five points (two goals and three assists) in a 5–2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.[42] At the end of the season, Tavares finished second in rookie scoring, behind Matt Duchene, with 54 points.

As New York opened up their season at home against the Dallas Stars on October 9, 2010, Tavares suffered a mild concussion late during the first period. The Stars' Adam Burish bumped into Tavares, and the latter was unable to return to the game.[43] He scored his first career hat-trick on October 23, 2010, in a loss to the Florida Panthers.[44] He then scored his second career NHL hat-trick, as well as his first career natural hat-trick, on January 15, 2011, in a win against the Buffalo Sabres.

Tavares in his second year as the Islanders' alternate captain. He was named to the position during the 2011–12 season.

On September 14, 2011, Tavares signed a new six-year, $33 million contract with the Islanders effective from the 2012–13 season through to the end of the 2017–18 season.[45] After being held pointless in the first two games of the 2011–12 season, Tavares had back-to-back four-point games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. From December 29, 2011, to January 21, 2012, Tavares had 21 points in a 12-game point streak, seven of which were multi-point games. He was selected to play in the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. In his first career All-Star Game, he recorded one goal and one assist.[46] Additionally, during the 2011–12 season, Tavares was named as an alternate captain for New York.[47]

Tavares played with Mark Streit in Switzerland for SC Bern while the 2012–13 NHL lock-out took place. During the shortened 2012–13 season, Tavares was third in the NHL with 28 goals. He helped the Islanders reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007, scoring 47 points in 48 games. Tavares was also named a finalist for the 2013 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most valuable player, on May 10, 2013.[48] Tavares scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal against Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-André Fleury in Game 3 of the 2013 playoffs. He would finish with three goals and five points in six games as the Islanders were eliminated by the Penguins.

On September 9, 2013, Tavares was named as the 14th captain in New York Islanders history, replacing former Islander Mark Streit of the Philadelphia Flyers, who served as team captain since 2011.[49] On February 19, 2014, during the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tavares suffered a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a torn meniscus in his knee during the quarterfinal game against Latvia, forcing him to miss the remainder of the Olympics as well as the remainder of the Islanders' season. At the time of his injury, Tavares ranked third in the NHL with 66 points in 59 games.[50] The following season, he was selected for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, along with teammate Jaroslav Halák.[51] Tavares finished the 2014–15 NHL season as runner up for the Art Ross Trophy with 86 points, one point behind the recipient, Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.[52] Additionally, Tavares was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time in his career; ultimately ceding the award to Carey Price.

Tavares during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On April 19, 2015, Tavares scored 15 seconds into overtime against Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2015 playoffs. The goal, which gave the Islanders a 2–1 victory, was the first game-winning overtime goal in the playoffs for the Islanders since 1993.[53] Despite this, the Capitals won the series in seven games.

Tavares scored the first regular season goal for the Islanders at Barclays Center in a 3–2 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks during the first game of the 2015–16 NHL season. On March 12, 2016, Tavares scored his 200th career NHL goal in a game against the Boston Bruins.[54] That season, he was also named to the NHL All-Star Game for the third time in his career and was voted captain of the Metropolitan Division.[55]

On April 24, 2016, Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Florida Panthers, trailing 1–0 in the final minute of play, assisted by Nikolay Kulemin and Nick Leddy, Tavares scored the game-tying goal off a loose puck in the crease with 53.2 seconds left in regulation. He finished the job by scoring the series-clinching goal in double overtime, winning a playoff series for the Islanders for the first time since 1993.[56]

On January 13, 2017, in a game against Florida, Tavares scored his 500th NHL point in his 550th career NHL game, making him the first player from his draft class to reach the milestone.[57]

Tavares during the 2017–18 season, his last with the Islanders.

Tavares' contract with the Islanders was set to expire following the completion of the 2017–18 season, during which he recorded 84 points in 82 games. With Tavares set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, he decided to test the free-agent market by meeting with six teams in the days leading up to the opening of the signing window on July 1, including a meeting with the Islanders to contemplate re-signing before hitting free agency.[a][58] Although many analysts predicted that Tavares would sign a new contract with New York before he hit the open market,[59] the re-sign deadline passed without a new contract being signed, and Tavares officially became a free agent at noon (EDT) on July 1. Many publications called Tavares the biggest free agent in the modern history of the NHL.[60][61] Just before 1 pm, almost one hour into the free agency period, it became public knowledge that Tavares had informed the Islanders he would be leaving the team and signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[62]

Toronto Maple Leafs (2018–present)

On July 1, 2018, it was announced that Tavares had signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.[63] Tavares cited Toronto's chances as a Stanley Cup contender, as well as living out his childhood dream to play for his hometown team, as his reason for signing the contract. Tavares rejected higher-paying offers in favour of joining the Maple Leafs, such as the San Jose Sharks (one of the six teams vying for his services), who offered him a seven-year, $91 million contract.[64] The Sharks' contract offer would have made Tavares the highest-paid player in the NHL. Tavares' decision to sign with the Maple Leafs proved to be divisive. Many were critical of the signing due to Tavares' decision to leave the Islanders despite the then-recent hirings of Hall of Fame general manager Lou Lamoriello and Stanley Cup-winning head coach Barry Trotz. Many argued Tavares abandoned the team that drafted him after coming to the conclusion he could not win with them, but others countered with the notion that the Islanders had never put competent rosters and management around Tavares to give him the chance to win, and by the time they attempted to change the culture of the organization with the Lamoriello and Trotz hirings, it was too late to change Tavares' mind. Regardless, the signing was, and continues to be, one of the most controversial free-agent signings in league history. Sentiment in the Islanders organization continued to be bitter regarding the signing, as evidenced by Tavares' former number with the Islanders, "91", being retired in honor of Butch Goring, in 2020.

In his debut for the Maple Leafs on October 4 against the Montreal Canadiens, Tavares scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 overtime win.[65] On October 7, Tavares recorded his ninth career NHL hat-trick (and first for Toronto) in a 7–6 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.[66] Tavares made his first return to Long Island to play the Islanders on February 28, 2019, in a highly-publicized, sold-out game. Tavares was relentlessly booed and heckled by Islanders fans throughout the match, including during his tribute video, and items were thrown at Tavares on the ice.[67][68] The Islanders would win the game 6–1, scoring six unanswered goals after Toronto initially scored early in the game.[67] On March 17, Tavares recorded his 700th career NHL point with his 40th goal of the season in a 6–2 loss to the Ottawa Senators; in scoring that goal, Tavares also became the third player in Maple Leaf history to record 40 goals in his first season with the team.[69] On March 26, Tavares recorded his tenth career NHL hat-trick (and first four-goal game) in a 7–5 win over the Florida Panthers.[70] In so doing, he became just the third player in modern team history (since 1943) to record multiple hat-tricks in his debut season with the club, following Wilf Paiement and Daniel Marois.[71] In the Maple Leafs' next game against the Islanders, Tavares recorded his 87th point of the season (a new career-high and his first point against his former team) in the 2–1 win, which clinched a playoff berth for Toronto.[72][73]

Prior to the 2019–20 season, Tavares was granted leave from the teams first pre-season game in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to spend with his wife and newborn son.[74] On October 2, 2019, just before the first game of the NHL season, Tavares was named the 25th captain in the history of the Maple Leafs,[75][76] filling a position that had been vacant for more than 3+1⁄2 years.[75]

On April 5, 2021, Tavares recorded his 800th career NHL point with an assist in the Maples Leafs' 5–3 win over the Calgary Flames.[77]

On May 20, 2021, in the Leafs' opening Stanley Cup Playoff game against the Canadiens, Tavares was upended by Canadiens defencemen Ben Chiarot. While laying on the ice, Canadiens forward Corey Perry attempted to jump over Tavares' head, however, Perry's knee clipped Tavares in the head. Ultimately, Tavares was stretchered off the ice and was transported to the hospital.[78][79] After the game, Perry felt remorse for his role on the incident: "I don’t know what else to do there. I tried to jump. I know Johnny pretty well and just hope he’s OK."[80][81] Tavares was taken to St. Michael's Hospital, and was discharged the following day, but was ruled out indefinitely with concussion.[82] In his absence, the Leafs would lose the series to the Canadiens in seven games, surrendering a 3–1 series lead in the process.

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Sochi
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2008 Czech Republic
Gold medal – first place 2009 Canada
Canada Cup / World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2016 Toronto
Spengler Cup
Gold medal – first place 2012 Davos

Junior

During his rookie season in the OHL, Tavares competed for Team Ontario in the 2006 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Saskatchewan as a 15-year-old, but failed to medal. Later that year, at the end of the 2005–06 season, he was selected to join Canada's under-18 team for the 2006 IIHF World U18 Championships in Sweden, but failed to medal once more, falling to the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game. Later in the off-season, he was invited to the under-18 team's summer training camp to prepare for the 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, though an injury ultimately prevented him from participating.[83]

During the following season, Tavares was invited to Canada's national junior selection camp in preparation for the 2007 World Junior Championships, but was not named to the final roster.[84] After completing his second OHL season, however, Tavares was named to the Canada's junior team for the 2007 Super Series against Russian junior players. He scored four goals and one assist as Canada won the series 7–0–1.

Tavares earned another invite to the selection camp for the 2008 World Junior Championships and made the final roster for the tournament on his second attempt.[26] He scored four goals to help Canada to its fourth-straight gold medal in the competition. Returning the next year, along with Zach Boychuk, P. K. Subban and Thomas Hickey from the previous year's gold medal-winning team, Tavares was selected to compete in the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario. He scored three points in the first round-robin game against the Czech Republic, an 8–1 win, and was named Player of the Game.[85] In the final round-robin game against the United States, Tavares scored a hat-trick for his 12th career goal of the tournament to tie Eric Lindros and Jeff Carter for the all-time Canadian junior record.[86] In doing so, Tavares helped propel Canada to a 7–4 win that gave them the top spot in their pool and a subsequent bye to the tournament semifinal. He was also named Player of the Game for the second time in the tournament for his performance on the night.[87] Meeting Russia in the semifinal and down 5–4 with less than ten seconds left in regulation, Tavares fought off two Russian players along the boards and backhanded a shot towards the goal. The shot was blocked by defenceman Dmitri Kulikov a few feet in front of the net, but after the puck came loose, teammate Jordan Eberle retrieved it and sent it into the right side of the net to dramatically tie the game with 5.4 seconds left. Then, as the game was forced into a shootout, Tavares scored to put Canada up 2–0 in the tie-breaker and into the gold medal game against Sweden. Recording an assist in the final, he helped Canada defeat the Swedes 5–1 to capture their fifth-straight gold medal. Tavares finished the tournament with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in six games, second only to teammate Cody Hodgson in tournament scoring. Tavares was also named one of the top three players on the Canadian team by its coaching staff,[88] as well as a tournament All-Star, Top Forward and MVP.[89]

Senior

Tavares as a member of the Canadian ice hockey team during the 2012 Spengler Cup.

As the New York Islanders failed to qualify for the playoffs in Tavares' rookie season in the NHL, he was selected to the Canadian men's team for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. Canada General Manager Mark Messier made a specific effort to assemble a young team;[90] as a result, Tavares was one of five teenagers on the final roster.[91] With seven goals in seven games, Tavares led all tournament players in goal-scoring. Despite recording no assists, he ranked fifth in points.[92] He helped Canada to the quarterfinal against Russia, where they were defeated 5–2.[93]

The following year, Tavares returned to the national team for the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. He improved to nine points over seven games with five goals and four assists to lead Canada in scoring; he ranked fifth among all tournament players for the second consecutive year.[94] As Canada again reached the quarterfinal, they were eliminated once more by Russia, losing 2–1.[95] Tavares was chosen by coaches as one of the three best players on Team Canada, along with defenceman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Andrew Ladd.[96]

Tavares played for SC Bern in Switzerland during the 2012–13 NHL lock-out and quickly became the PostFinance Top Scorer, tallying 42 points—including 17 goals—in just 28 games. He also played for Team Canada at the 2012 Spengler Cup, which the nation ultimately won after defeating HC Davos in the final.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tavares injured his knee in Canada's quarterfinal match, rendering him unable to play for the remainder of the tournament as well as the 2013–14 NHL season.[50]

On 26 April 2019, it was announced that Tavares had committed to play for Team Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. However, shortly before the first game of the tournament, it was announced on 9 May 2019 that Tavares had suffered an oblique injury and would be returning to Toronto.

Playing style

Tavares (left) races Olli Maatta for the puck during a game in the 2017–18 season.

Tavares has been praised by his coaches for his ability to anticipate the play since he joined the OHL.[97] A lack of speed had been the most common criticism of Tavares' play, something he spent his junior career attempting to improve. Tavares' skating speed is something he greatly improved since turning professional, and he is now considered one of the NHL’s faster skaters.[98]

The media hype he has encountered has led Tavares to remain guarded when speaking to the media, while his teammates and family attempt to shield him from the spotlight where they can.[34] However, Tavares is regarded as a natural leader on the ice, and a player who puts his team first.[6] The Oshawa Generals named Tavares their team captain in 2008, while he also served as the alternate captain with the Canadian junior team in 2009.[7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 Toronto Marlboros GTHL 72 91 67 158 — — — — — —
2004–05 Milton Icehawks OPJHL 20 13 15 28 10 — — — — —
2005–06 Oshawa Generals OHL 65 45 32 77 72 — — — — —
2006–07 Oshawa Generals OHL 67 72 62 134 60 9 7 12 19 6
2007–08 Oshawa Generals OHL 59 40 78 118 69 15 3 13 16 20
2008–09 Oshawa Generals OHL 32 26 28 54 32 — — — — —
2008–09 London Knights OHL 24 32 18 50 22 14 10 11 21 8
2009–10 New York Islanders NHL 82 24 30 54 22 — — — — —
2010–11 New York Islanders NHL 79 29 38 67 53 — — — — —
2011–12 New York Islanders NHL 82 31 50 81 26 — — — — —
2012–13 SC Bern NLA 28 17 25 42 28 — — — — —
2012–13 New York Islanders NHL 48 28 19 47 18 6 3 2 5 4
2013–14 New York Islanders NHL 59 24 42 66 40 — — — — —
2014–15 New York Islanders NHL 82 38 48 86 46 7 2 4 6 2
2015–16 New York Islanders NHL 78 33 37 70 38 11 6 5 11 6
2016–17 New York Islanders NHL 77 28 38 66 38 — — — — —
2017–18 New York Islanders NHL 82 37 47 84 26 — — — — —
2018–19 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 82 47 41 88 34 7 2 3 5 0
2019–20 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 63 26 34 60 24 5 2 1 3 0
2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 56 19 31 50 14 1 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 870 364 455 819 379 37 15 15 30 12

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2006 Canada U18 4th 7 2 3 5 4
2007 Canada SS 1st place, gold medalist(s) 8 1 8 9 26
2008 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 4 1 5 2
2009 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 8 7 15 0
2010 Canada WC 7th 7 7 0 7 6
2011 Canada WC 5th 7 5 4 9 12
2012 Canada WC 5th 8 4 5 9 12
2014 Canada Oly 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 0 0 0 0
2016 Canada WCH 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 1 3 4 0
Junior totals 28 15 19 34 32
Senior totals 32 17 12 29 30

Awards and honours

Award Year
OHL
Jack Ferguson Award 2005
OHL First All-Rookie Team 2006
OHL rookie goal scoring lead (45) 2006
Emms Family Award 2006
OHL First All-Star Team 2007
Red Tilson Trophy 2007
OHL goal scoring leader 2007, 2009
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy 2009
OHL Second All-Star Team 2009
CHL
CHL All-Rookie Team 2006
CHL Rookie of the Year 2006
CHL First All-Star Team 2007, 2009
CHL Player of the Year 2007
CHL Top Draft Prospect Award 2009
CHL Top Prospects Game Invitee 2009
NHL
NHL All-Rookie Team 2010
NHL All-Star 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
First NHL All-Star Team 2015
International
U17 WHC All-Star Team 2006
IIHF World U20 Championship gold medal 2008, 2009
U20 WJC All-Star Team 2009
U20 WJC Best Forward 2009
U20 WJC Most Valuable Player 2009
Spengler Cup champion 2012
Olympic Gold 2014
World Cup of Hockey 2016

Notes

  1. ^ The six teams Tavares granted meetings to included the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. Other teams also requested to meet with Tavares, but were denied.

References

  1. ^ "Exceptional Player Status – CHL". ItsAboutHockey.com. December 15, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Canada's 2009 National Junior Team". Hockey Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2012. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Stewart, Trevor (September 30, 2005). "Hockey phenom holds city dear: John Tavares grew up dreaming of playing in Sudbury Arena". Sudbury Star. p. A1.
  4. ^ a b c d McDonald, Stuart (November 24, 2007). "2009 prospects: Q&A with John Tavares". Hockey's Future. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Kalchman, Lois (December 26, 2004). "Too young to play?; This 14-year-old shows he belongs with big boys in junior but that opportunity may soon be gone". Toronto Star. p. B14.
  6. ^ a b c Koshan, Terry (December 24, 2008). "There's no "I" in John Tavares". Sun Media. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Yzerman, Chris (December 26, 2008). "Hockey spotlight focussed on Canada's Tavares". National Post. Retrieved December 13, 2013.[dead link]
  8. ^ "Former Braves Alumni John Tavares Helps Lead Canada to Gold". Mississauga Braves Hockey Club. January 6, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "Scott Tanski". Brampton Battalion Hockey Club. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Sidelines". Ottawa Citizen. April 5, 2004. p. C2.
  11. ^ Desaulniers, Darren (April 3, 2004). "London player claims three bantam awards". Ottawa Citizen. p. F3.
  12. ^ "Tavares will join OHL Generals". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 7, 2005. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  13. ^ "Buck Houle Award". Toronto Marlboros Hockey Association. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  14. ^ a b "Truth & Rumors: May 5, 2005". Sports Illustrated. May 5, 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  15. ^ a b c "OHL makes changes; Tavares eligible". The Sports Network. May 4, 2005. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  16. ^ Sipple, George (January 20, 2009). "Top prospect John Tavares scores two in 4–2 win over Whalers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  17. ^ "Shane Wright granted exceptional player status, eligible for OHL draft". Sportsnet. March 8, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  18. ^ "Tavares to be selected first overall in OHL Priority Selection". Ontario Hockey League. May 4, 2005. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  19. ^ Koshan, Terry (June 18, 2005). "Fronts get first look". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  20. ^ "Game Summary 11533: Oshawa 4 Kingston 3". Ontario Hockey League. September 23, 2005. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  21. ^ Pyette, Ryan (October 21, 2005). "Tavares is the real thing at 15". London Free Press. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  22. ^ a b "John Tavares player profile". The Sports Network. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  23. ^ "Game Summary 12274 – Oshawa 9 Windsor 6". Ontario Hockey League. January 25, 2007. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  24. ^ "Gretzky's OHL scoring record eclipsed by Tavares". ESPN.com. March 17, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  25. ^ "Top Scorers – 2007–08 Regular Season". Ontario Hockey League. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  26. ^ a b "OHL stars to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships". Ontario Hockey League. December 2007. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  27. ^ a b Yzerman, Chris (January 6, 2009). "Trade speculation surrounds Tavares during game". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  28. ^ "Oshawa Generals trade star forward John Tavares to London Knights". The Hockey News. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  29. ^ "Tavares won't play for Knights until Sunday". London Free Press. January 9, 2009. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  30. ^ "John Tavares injured in Top Prospects game". Sporting News. January 14, 2009. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  31. ^ "Tavares breaks OHL goal scoring record with hat trick". The Sports Network. March 8, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  32. ^ "London Knights' John Tavares Named Boston Pizza OHL Player of the Week". Ontario Hockey League. March 9, 2009. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  33. ^ Pyette, Ryan (July 16, 2007). "Tavares too good for OHL?". Sun Media. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  34. ^ a b Zinser, Lynn (November 29, 2007). "Is Tavares the Next Great One?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  35. ^ a b Shoalts, David (October 25, 2007). "Leafs make unconventional play for phenom Tavares". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  36. ^ "ISS top 30 for 2009". The Sports Network. March 16, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  37. ^ "Islanders take Tavares with top pick in 2009 Entry Draft". The Sports Network. June 26, 2009. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved June 26, 2009.
  38. ^ New York Islanders (July 15, 2009). "ISLANDERS SIGN TAVARES". Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2009.
  39. ^ a b Todd Kimberley (September 17, 2009). "Tavares excited, relieved after debut". Retrieved September 22, 2009.
  40. ^ Hunter, Paul (October 4, 2009). "John Tavares wows them in debut". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  41. ^ Morganti, Al (February 14, 1982), "5-Goal Show by Trottier sinks Flyers", Philadelphia Inquirer, p. D01 SPORTS
  42. ^ "JOHN TAVARES HAS FIVE-POINT NIGHT AS ISLANDERS STUN CANUCKS WITH 5–2 WIN". thehockeynews.com. March 17, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  43. ^ "Islander Tavares Suffers Concussion". CBC Sports. October 10, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  44. ^ "Panthers 4, Islanders 3". NHL.com. October 23, 2010. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  45. ^ "Staying on the Island: Tavares, Islanders agree to 6-year contract extension". NHL.com. September 15, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  46. ^ "Team Chara vs. Team Alfredsson – Boxscore – January 29, 2012 – ESPN". ESPN. January 29, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  47. ^ Press, The Canadian (September 9, 2013). "Young star John Tavares chosen as 14th captain of New York Islanders". The Hockey News on Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 6, 2021. During the 2011-12 season, Tavares became an Islanders alternate captain...
  48. ^ Muir, Allan (May 10, 2013). "Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares are 2013 Hart Trophy finalists". Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  49. ^ Compton, Brian (September 9, 2013). "Islanders name Tavares 14th team captain". NHL.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  50. ^ a b "New York Islanders' John Tavares out for season with knee injury – 2014 Olympics". National Hockey League. February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  51. ^ "Tavares to Represent Islanders at 2015 All-Star Weekend". National Hockey League. January 10, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  52. ^ "NHL 2014–2015 Regular Season Points Standings". April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  53. ^ Kreda, Allan (April 19, 2015). "Tavares's Overtime Goal Lifts Islanders Over Capitals". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  54. ^ Staple, Arthur (March 12, 2016). "Islanders captain John Tavares reaches 200 career goals". Newsday.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  55. ^ Wright, Corey (January 28, 2016). "Tavares Named All-Star Captain". NHL.com. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  56. ^ Botte, Peter (April 25, 2016). "John Tavares scores in double-OT to lead Islanders past Panthers, win first playoff series since 1993". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  57. ^ Wright, Cory (December 13, 2017). "Tavares Scores 500th NHL Point". NHL.com. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  58. ^ "Tavares will talk to five teams other than Islanders: report". NHL.com. June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  59. ^ "The favorite, contenders and dark horses for John Tavares". New York Post. June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  60. ^ "John Tavares hits unrestricted free agency as midnight deadline passes". Roger's Sportsnet. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  61. ^ "Tavares could become one of most desirable free agents in NHL history". NHL.com. June 18, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  62. ^ "As Tavares Moves on From Islanders, There's Plenty of Blame". The Athletic. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  63. ^ "Maple Leafs Agree to Terms with Free Agent Forward John Tavares". NHL.com. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  64. ^ "John Tavares signs with Toronto Maple Leafs". SBNation. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  65. ^ Shilton, Kristen. "'Ugly win' still a night to remember for Tavares in Leafs debut". TSN. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  66. ^ King, Scott (October 8, 2018). "Tavares gets first hat trick with Maple Leafs in win against Blackhawks". NHL.com. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  67. ^ a b Rosen, Dan (March 1, 2019). "Tavares hears Islanders fans loud and clear in return with Maple Leafs". NHL.com. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  68. ^ Fox, Luke (March 1, 2019). "Islanders fans happy to make Tavares' Long Island return miserable". Sportsnet. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  69. ^ Fraser, Callum (March 16, 2019). "Maple Leafs lose to Senators, fail to keep pace in Atlantic race". NHL.com. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  70. ^ "John Tavares within sight of 50 as his 4-goal night leads Leafs over Panthers". cbc.ca. March 25, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  71. ^ @PR_NHL (March 26, 2019). "John Tavares became the eighth player in @MapleLeafs franchise history – and only the third in the modern era (since 1943-44) – to record multiple hat tricks in his first season with the club. #NHLStats" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  72. ^ @LeafsPR (April 1, 2019). "John Tavares' third period goal is his 87th point of the season, establishing a new single-season career-high. #LeafsForever" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  73. ^ Adam Proteau (April 1, 2019). "Leafs are playoff bound after 2–1 win over Islanders". NHL.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  74. ^ Chris Johnston (September 15, 2019). "Birth of son, Marner deal, love-in on The Rock cap Tavares' unforgettable week". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  75. ^ a b "Matthews scores twice, Maple Leafs beat Senators in opener". Yahoo Sports. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  76. ^ Zeisberger, Mike (October 2, 2019). "Tavares named captain of Maple Leafs, first in three seasons". nhl.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  77. ^ "Maple Leafs beat Flames 5-3, stretch win streak to 4 games". AP News. April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021. Tavares picked up the only assist on that goal for the 800th point of his NHL career, and Toronto’s captain then made it 5-3 just 1:20 later when he scored his 12th, and second in as many games.
  78. ^ Kaplan, Emily (May 20, 2021). "Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares released from hospital, out indefinitely". ESPN.com. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  79. ^ "Tavares stretchered off after taking knee to head". TSN.com. May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  80. ^ Francisco, Alexandra (May 20, 2021). "Corey Perry Addresses Knee-To-Head Hit That Hospitalized John Tavares". NESN.com. NESN. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  81. ^ Corey Perry ‘Felt Sick To His Stomach’ After Collision With John Tavares (YouTube). SPORTSNET. May 20, 2021. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  82. ^ "Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares released from hospital, out indefinitely with concussion". espn.com. May 21, 2021.
  83. ^ "Canada's national summer under-18 team named by Hockey Canada for 2006 Junior World Cup". Hockey Canada. August 2, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  84. ^ "John Tavares cut by Team Canada". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  85. ^ "Canada 8 – Czech Republic 1: Canadian Offence Erupts in Tournament-Opening Win". Hockey Canada. December 26, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  86. ^ "Canada defeats United States in a thriller at the World Juniors". The Sports Network. January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  87. ^ "IIHF World U20 Championships – Best Players Per Game" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 1, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  88. ^ "IIHF World U20 Championship – Three Best Players Per Team Selected By Coaches" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 6, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  89. ^ "Tavares named MVP". International Ice Hockey Federation. January 5, 2009. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
  90. ^ "Young core leads Canada into hockey worlds". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 5, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  91. ^ "Canada's young guns deliver in hockey opener". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. May 9, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  92. ^ "Scoring Leaders" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. May 23, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  93. ^ "Game Summary" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. May 20, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  94. ^ "Scoring Leaders" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. May 15, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  95. ^ "Game Summary" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. May 12, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  96. ^ "Best Players of Each Team Selected By Coaches" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. May 16, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  97. ^ Beech, Mark; Keith, Ted (June 26, 2006). "Where Will They Be?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  98. ^ Mirtle, James (March 10, 2015). "How John Tavares became the NHL's most dangerous scorer". Toronto: The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 12, 2018.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by CHL Player of the Year
2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Junior MVP
2009 		Succeeded by
Jordan Eberle
Preceded by
Viktor Tikhonov
 World Junior Best Forward
2009 		Succeeded by
Jordan Eberle
Sporting positions
Preceded by NHL first overall draft pick
2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Josh Bailey
 New York Islanders first round pick
2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New York Islanders captain
2013–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Dion Phaneuf
 Toronto Maple Leafs captain
2019–present 		Incumbent

Retrieved from ""