Insider unveils why John Tavares was stripped of Maple Leafs captaincy

We reported on this yesterday when the news officially broke thanks to Darren Dreger of TSN. Moreover, we even captured some of the fan reactions to this, which were quite severe.

Now, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet is revealing exactly what went down here. Essentially, the decision to potentially change captains was sparked by Toronto's loss to the Boston Bruins in this year's playoffs. Yet another postseason disappointment had Leafs brass wondering if the team needed new leadership.

Only time will tell whether or not Matthews is able to live up to the hype as captain. He will have a huge responsibility on his shoulders that is unlike anything he has ever experienced. That said, the Leafs believe he is ready, and fans will just have to trust and believe the process.

Do you agree with the decision to demote John Tavares? 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.

Source: Chris Johnston on X
Auston Matthews takes the Captaincy