‘I would love to stay’ with Maple Leafs, Tavares says

TORONTO -- John Tavares has no regrets about the life-changing decision he made almost seven years ago to leave the New York Islanders and join the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Anything but.

“Aside from not being able to help bring a Stanley Cup here, it’s been everything I could hope for,” the Maple Leafs forward told NHL.com this week. “In fact, it’s been even better than I thought, to be honest.”

Which is a big reason why, if things line up, the Maple Leafs forward, who’s in the final season of the seven-year, $77 million contract ($11 million average annual value) he signed on July 1, 2018, continues to reiterate that his goal is to re-sign with Toronto, all things being equal.

“I’ve said it before, I would love to stay and hope it works out,” he said. “I think that's, that's my goal and my intention.”

For Tavares, a native of the Toronto area, the focus is on the present and the future, not looking in the rear-view mirror. It’s a narrative that always seems to be brought up to him whenever the Maple Leafs meet the Islanders like they will at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN1, SNO, SNP, MSGSN2).

He definitely has no shortage of things to look forward to, even at age 34.

Entering the game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Centre on Friday, Tavares ranked third on the Maple Leafs in scoring with 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 31 games, including his 14th career hat trick in a 5-3 win against the Sabres at Scotiabank Area on Sunday. He’s also second among Toronto forwards in plus-minus (+6), trailing only Bobby McMann.

“I’m just really confident in my game right now at both ends,” he said. “I just keep working at it.”

Thus far, coach Craig Berube is pleased with what he’s seen.

“His preparation is unequalled,” Berube said. “It starts in the summer and never falters. He’s constantly working on his game, both in the offensive and defensive zones.”

His efficiency at playing a 200-foot game was one of the reasons Tavares attracted so much interest heading into free agency in 2018. So, too, was the fact that he was coming off an 84-point season (37 goals, 47 assists) in 82 games with the Islanders, the team he’d spent his first nine NHL seasons with.

At that time, Pat Brisson, Tavares’ representative, invited the Maple Leafs along with the Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning to meet with his client at the agent’s CAA offices in Los Angeles.

“(Toronto) made a very influential case,” Brisson told NHL.com. “I could see it had an effect on John. The chance to be with such a talented team was big, sure. But when you add that a player can return to his hometown to play, it made him think.

“All the teams made great presentations. But that’s one thing that was unique to Toronto the others could not offer.”

Years later, Tavares said the experience of playing for his hometown team has exceeded his expectations, as much off the ice as on.

“Obviously, starting a family here, becoming a father of three kids, all under 6, and the evolution through all that, it’s a progression, and it’s nice that my parents and relatives are close,” he said.

To that end, part of Tavares’ routine in Toronto has become writing his three kids’ names -- sons Jace and Axton and daughter Rae -- on tape near the top of his sticks.
But there’s more to the story.

“Never ever in my wildest dreams did I think we're going to live through a pandemic,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 virus that saw the NHL, along with much of society, shut down in March of 2020. “So I was very fortunate from the standpoint that I didn't have to deal with crossing the border and quarantines, and not seeing family for a couple of years. Everyone was right here. So whether it's me and my wife, you know, with our parents, our extended family members, our siblings, to now my kids, seeing their grandparents all the time, and the type of bonds that they've created, all stuff like that, obviously goes a long way.

“It’s been really amazing to share playing here with the kids. They've been a big part of it and gotten to experience it with me. So that's what life's all about, that's what's most important, and you cherish that.”

At the same time, he continues to take the high road when it comes to the Islanders. Despite being razzed repeatedly the past six-plus years whenever he plays against them in New York for his decision to leave and come to Toronto, he says he’ll always be appreciative of the franchise that picked him No. 1 overall in the 2009 NHL Draft.

“That place means a lot to me,” he said. “And the fans do as well. They're very passionate and very protective of their team and their club. And tremendous history and tradition is there as well, and obviously what they built in the 1980s, and the pride behind that, I think, is pretty, pretty spectacular. So I got to feel that for my nine years there, and they really embraced me and were a big part of my development on and off the ice. I’ll always be grateful for that, and always appreciate my time there.

“I'll never take that for granted either. I'm extremely grateful. I mean, it's a big part of who I am today, so my time there was great.”

So, too, has his experience been with the Maple Leafs. In fact, heading into the matchup against the Sabres, he was just four points shy (448) of catching Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour (452) on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

“Every day I get up, I never take it for granted how fortunate I am to play and live here,” he said. “Hopefully it continues.”

The only blemish in his time with the Maple Leafs revolves around the team’s postseason shortcomings.

Since he joined them, they’ve won just one Stanley Cup Playoff series, that coming in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fittingly it was Tavares who scored the series-winning goal in overtime of Game 6 that propelled the Maple Leafs to the second round.

Of course, he and his teammates have higher aspirations than that.

“Winning the Cup here remains the goal,” he said. “That’s never changed.

“It would be a dream fulfilled for a lot of us.”