Don Cherry Blasts the Maple Leafs for Removing John Tavares' Captaincy
On his podcast, Don Cherry blasted the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for removing John Tavares' captaincy and giving it to Auston Matthews.
After yet another first-round elimination, things had to change in Toronto. General Manager Brad Treliving and President Brendan Shanahan decided to replace both the head coach and the captain: Sheldon Keefe was replaced by Craig Berube and John Tavares; by Auston Matthews. Across the hockey world, these changes were mostly well-received.
Keefe's time in Toronto had to come to an end, following years of playoff struggles. Many think that Craig Berube, former player, and Stanley Cup Champion with the St. Louis Blues in 2018 could be the one to lead the Leafs to their first Championship title since 1967.
As for Matthews' captaincy, the debate was a bit more heated. While Matthews' is one of the best players in the NHL, and Tavares' future in Toronto is uncertain due to his contract situation, some thought removing the "C" from Tavares wasn't the right move.
The renowned Don Cherry has difficulty accepting that they demoted Tavares at Matthews' expense.
Here's what he said in his podcast, Don Cherry's Grapevine:
It's all up to Matthews now."
Even if Tavares seemed at peace with this decision, he knew he didn't have a choice. Matthews is the face of the franchise and the leader in the Leafs locker room.
Cherry is right, there was "something wrong somewhere". The change of captaincy might not be the answer to all their problems, but it could be an important step in the right direction.
