After the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, John Tavares discussed the end of his seven-year contract with the Leafs, the pressure of playing in Toronto, and Auston Matthews’ first season as captain.
You have made it clear that you want to return to the Leafs next season. How difficult is a day like today to talk about the future and improvements for next year when you are unsure about the future for yourself?
Tavares: Obviously, my contract is done. We are coming up soon on the time for decisions to be made, but there is still a lot of focus on the end of the season here and the difficulty of not playing today.
I’ve had positive conversations with [Brad Treliving] and [Craig Berube] today. I am very optimistic it can work out where I am back, but I haven’t put too much thought into it. It has only been a number of hours since things ended.
Can you talk about the family balance of the free-agency decision, and the number it might take to keep you or push you out? It is not just a hockey decision at this point in your life.
Tavares: Everything plays into it. You want to make something work. You do everything you can to try to find what works on both sides and what is fair for me, my family, the team, and the club. I have expressed my desire to stay and make it work.
There has been a lot of talk about the media and fan pressure in the market. Where do you fall on that as a reason, explanation, or excuse for the shortcomings in the playoffs?
Tavares: There is an incredible following of the team and passion about the club, with the history around it and why it is so special to play here. You feel it on a daily basis. You recognize it. It is what makes it great.
There is pressure everywhere. Certainly, there is a lot of noise playing in Toronto, but it can’t outweigh the pleasure, the privilege, and the opportunity that it brings, or doing everything you need to do to deal with it on a daily basis and focus on the group in here going out, playing, and everything we need to do to have success.
It is an unbelievable place to play, and an incredible fan base that loves its team and so badly wants to see a win. When it happens here again, it is going to be something pretty remarkable. You want to be a part of that.
I think the group is extremely committed and driven to try to do that. It has obviously been disappointing. We feel that as much as our fans do.
There is pressure everywhere to win, and everyone wants to win the Stanley Cup. We talk about why it is the greatest trophy in sports. It is the hardest to win.
Every situation and every market is unique and different in its own way. My experience of being a Leaf and living through it has been unbelievable. It is tough when things don’t go your way and you don’t have the success you want; there is a lot of noise around that because people care and want to see it so bad. You embrace all the good, positives, and opportunities it brings.
What does the team have to learn and take away from what happened in Game 7?
Tavares: It is obviously still fresh. It has been a difficult however-many-hours it has been.
Clearly, when we had breakdowns, our ability to recover was very difficult. If you look at the team we played against and what they’ve built and accomplished, it is what we are trying to get to in terms of how strongly they play as a unit, how they stay with their game, and how comfortable they are within that.
There are things we can take away and learn. I am sure that will become clearer as time goes by.
How did Auston Matthews handle the captaincy this season and grow within the role?
Tavares: He did a really good job. I know I was a captain for a long time — the captain here for five years — and for me, he is going to continue to be a great leader and continue to get better and grow. You learn a lot through experience.
In his first year as captain, especially here in Toronto with all that comes with it, he did a great job. I continue to support him in any way necessary, and the same goes for all of the guys in the room.
He will continue to learn a lot from every experience and having gone through things for the first time this year. I thought he did a really, really good job, but certainly, it is a continued evolution. He will continue to get better.
