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Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares Better Score His 1000th Point Tonight

By Stephen Nixon

John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena on October 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena on October 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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It would be fitting for Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares to score his 1000th point tonight as he faces his old team, the New York Islanders, on the road.

Is there a superstar in hockey who is less recognized than Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares?

Since 2009, this guy has been nothing but consistent and has continued to be a leader on and off the ice, yet he’s rarely talked about.

Currently in his sixth season with the Leafs, Tavares did something no free agent dared to do—signing a monster deal to play in Toronto. Despite having some of the best players in the world hailing from the Toronto area, no player ever wanted to come here and try to win, yet Tavares took that task.

Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares Better Score His 1000th Point Tonight

Knowing the scrutiny he would face by leaving the Islanders (especially since he was their captain), Tavares took a leap of faith to pursue a Stanley Cup win with the team he grew up loving. I know it hasn’t quite worked out, but it’s not for a lack of effort.

In 384 career games with the Leafs, Tavares has 377 points, including 162 goals. He’s essentially been a point-per-game player who averages 35 goals per season, which is spectacular. That’s incredible production from your number-one center, especially one who was supposed to lose a step by Year 6 of his contract.

When you look at Tavares’ hockey reference page, it showcases his nicknames at the top, and one that always stands out is ‘Pajama Boy.’ I find it insane that they listed that but also continue to get mad at the Islanders fans for chanting that at him.

As a result, Tavares, currently sitting at 998 points, needs to have a huge game, score two points against his old team, and stick it to those terrible Islanders fans. It would be so fitting to see him score a goal and get that 1,000th point in New York, just to show them all what they’re missing.

The Islanders have been desperate for a top goal-scorer ever since Tavares left, so there would be nothing better than for Tavares to get that illustrious milestone point in the place he used to call home.

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He probably won’t even crack a smile when it happens because that’s just the type of player that JT is, but let’s hope he can get two points tonight.

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