John Tavares' teammates have noticed a major change since he lost the captaincy

PUBLICATION

Axel Williams
September 21, 2024 (7:49 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

John Tavares had the Toronto Maple Leafs captaincy taken away from him and in the end, it was given to none other than Auston Matthews.

Coming into training camp, there were questions about Tavares and whether or not he would be motivated to put his best foot forward, especially with the team's latest move. However, as Craig Berube revealed, Tavares is the same amazing professional player that he's always been.

Having said that, some of Tavares' teammates disagree. However, they disagree for good reasons. Bobby McMann says that Tavares is actually better than he used to be. He feels like the future Hall of Famer is even more motivated than he was before. It is almost as if losing the captaincy has made him more eager to lead the team and show the young guys how to win.

"He just loves talking. He wants to win so bad that his preparation is priority. He's always ready to go and he's always a great leader too. He's always trying to to help guys make sure he's pointing them in the right direction, especially me."

The regular season is going to be the true litmus test of how Tavares' season will go. If there is one thing for certain, it is that the Tavares and Matthews' dynamic will be a fascinating one to watch.

Do you believe John Tavares is going to have a big year? Let us know in the poll down below and stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.

Source: Hockey Patrol
Something is different with John Tavares and teammates are starting to notice