Tavares Signs a Seven-Year Contract With Toronto Maple Leafs

by
Former Writers
July 1, 2018

A Childhood Dream Come True

John Tavares signs a seven-year contract and joins the Toronto Maple Leafs. The contract is worth $77 Million. The 27-year-old center and New York Islanders Captain since the 2013-14 season was selected by New York as their No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL draft. The Maple Leafs were one of the six teams that Tavares spoke with in Los Angeles last week. The six teams included the Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. In terms of contract length, the maximum he could have received from any team other than the Islanders was seven years; as it is believed that New York offered him the maximum eight years.

Tavares signs a Seven-Year Contract to Make His Dreams Come True

Not everyday you can live a childhood dream pic.twitter.com/YUTKdfMALl

— John Tavares (@91Tavares) July 1, 2018

“I’m thrilled to be starting a new chapter of my career and life in Toronto with the Maple Leafs,” Tavares tweeted Sunday. “I feel very fortunate to come join a team with a great young core and play where I grew up learning and loving the game. I can’t wait to get started!” Tavares grew up a Maple Leafs fan in Mississauga Ontario.

Tavares also tweeted a note to all New York Islanders fans.

Barry Trotz is now the new Islanders coach as of June 21. This, however, was not enough to convince Tavares to stay in New York. Earlier in the year on April 9 John tweeted “This is obviously where I hope to be. I’ve always stated that,” Tavares said April 9, two days after the Islanders’ season ended. “But obviously, I have some time to think about my situation and go from there.”

The Maple Leafs have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs in the last two seasons, but have not won a series since 2004. The franchise has not won the cup since 1967. They lost to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round in seven games.

Teammates or Family?

Minutes after the news comes out that Tavares signs a seven-year contract with the Leafs, current players on the team started to tweet out to their new member.

Welcome aboard @91Tavares ! Pumped to have you in the blue and white and now call you a teammate #goleafs

— Auston Matthews (@AM34) July 1, 2018

Welcome @91Tavares now we go to work ??

— Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri) July 1, 2018

Upset New York Islanders Fans

No number of public apologies via Twitter could make all the New York Islanders Fans happy. Many upset fans took to Twitter to express their opinions. One fan even went as far as to burn Tavares’ New York Islanders Jersey.

YOU ARE DEAD TO ME @91Tavares

FRAUD.#TavaresWatch pic.twitter.com/tQMyT5lvkJ

— JT IS A FRAUD (@DonnyOnTheHorn) July 1, 2018

In conclusion, Tavares’ contract averages out to $11 million a year, the amount he would have been earning every year if he stayed with the Islanders. However, at the end of the day, John Tavares’ wanted to go to Toronto to live out the rest of his career and childhood dream at the same time.