Auston Matthews was reportedly close to becoming captain by Maple Leafs in 2019

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Cooper Godin
August 14, 2024 (8:10)

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews was reportedly set to become captain back in 2019.

The Auston Matthews era as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs is set to officially begin on Wednesday with a press conference announcing the news. Matthews will take over for John Tavares, who is stepping aside as the team's captain following meetings with management after their first-round series against Boston.

A new report suggests that the Toronto Maple Leafs initially intended on making Auston Matthews captain five years ago as he was set to enter his fourth season in the National Hockey League.

According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Maple Leafs were reportedly going to name Auston Matthews captain in 2019, but due to an off-season legal incident in his home state of Arizona, they went away from that plan and gave the 'C' to John Tavares, who was entering his second season with the team. Before joining the Maple Leafs, Tavares captained the New York Islanders for five seasons.

The legal incident Hornby is referring to dates back to May 2019, when at 2 am, Matthews and a group of his friends allegedly tried to open the vehicle of a female security guard in a Scottsdale condo complex. The security guard then got out of her vehicle to confront Auston Matthews, who she says was intoxicated. As he walked away, Matthews allegedly dropped his pants, bent over and grabbed his butt. Following the incident, Matthews was facing a disorderly conduct charge, but later that year, an Arizona court decided to drop the charge.

Playing in an Original Six market is tough for any player, but to be a captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs comes with a lot of added responsibilities, along with the expectations to deliver for the team and of course, stress. There's no doubt that Auston Matthews will be able to handle anything thrown his way and will be a strong leader for the Toronto Maple Leafs on and off the ice.