Auston Matthews' criminal record kept him from becoming the Leafs captain

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Daniel Lucente
August 13, 2024 (3:02 PM)

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A criminal incident involving Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews back in 2019 was the reason he wasn't made captain and it was given to John Tavares.

Back in 2019, the plan was for Auston Matthews to become the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Just days before they were going to make the announcement, word broke out that Matthews was involved in a criminal scandal and faced charges back in his home of Scottsdale, Arizona. The team ultimately decided not to make him the captain while he was dealing with that battle, and chose John Tavares instead in only his second season with the team.

Following this incident, Auston Matthews ended up being charged with disorderly conduct in the state of Arizona, which is also referred to as disturbing the peace. Things that fall under disorderly conduct could be actions such as public intoxication, loitering, yelling profanities, and reckless public behavior.

The charges were eventually dropped and Auston Matthews continued with his brilliant career. He has currently accumulated a total of 368 goals and 649 points in his 562 career NHL games, all with the Leafs, and it is widely expected that the franchise will name him as their captain in an announcement tomorrow.

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Source: HockeyDB
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