Auston Matthews' troubled past kept him from being Maple Leafs captain sooner

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Axel Williams
August 14, 2024 (8:38)

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Auston Matthews is one of the best players in the entire NHL, and on Wednesday, he is expected to be named the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As we have reported extensively, there has been some strife as it pertains to all of this. Maple Leafs fans feel as though John Tavares has been done dirty by the organization. Meanwhile, others feel like Matthews hasn't won anything and doesn't truly deserve this honor.

According to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Leafs actually wanted to make Auston Matthews their captain back in 2019. However, is disorderly conduct charge for flashing a female police officer ultimately held him back. At the time, the organization felt like this disqualified him from the role.

The charge was subsequently dropped and Matthews has been able to get away without further penalty. Now, we are five years past the incident, and the Leafs believe Matthews is ready for the new responsibility. Only time will tell whether or not he is able to do a good job and lead this team to a Stanley Cup.

Do you believe that Auston Matthews truly deserves to be captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Let us know in the poll down below. Additionally, stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.