Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares prepares for 1,00th career NHL game this weekend
“Absolutely,” the Toronto Maple Leafs captain replied bluntly. “Absolutely.”Set to hit 1,000 regular-season NHL games this weekend, the 32-year-old remains a point-per-night player in his 14th season, thanks to a drive that started on the outdoor rinks of his childhood and continues to this day as Tavares pushes to adapt himself in a sport that’s always changing.
The numbers were still good – 76 points in 79 games – and his grinding, relentless play below the faceoff dots remained largely unchanged. His speed in getting to the right spots, however, seemed to have taken a hit. That’s pretty good return from a player on the wrong side of 30 in a game that continues to get younger and faster.
Slated to play game No. 1,000 at home Sunday against Washington, Tavares started his NHL career with the New York Islanders and was named captain in 2013. He bolted for the team he grew up supporting, signing a seven-year, US$77-million contract with Toronto in the summer of 2018. “You never have it fully figured out,” said Tavares, who suffered a devastating head injury in the 2021 playoffs, but had a clean bill of health at the start of last season. “That’s just part of the journey and continuing to adapt and get better.”
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