CAPTAIN DAY & CAPTAIN TAVARES

When the Toronto Maple Leafs opened their 2019-20 season at home on October 2, much of the excitement and drama took place before the puck was dropped. During most of the off-season, there were discussions about the Leafs naming a captain, with Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly in the mix to wear the 'C'.

All the buzz and speculation came to a dramatic climax when John Tavares was the last Leaf to step on the ice during the player introductions. With his stick raised, Tavares saluted the home crowd with the 'C' on his jersey.

As Tavares noted in his post-game comments, the honour and responsibility of being the captain of an NHL team isn't new to him, as he wore the 'C' with the New York Islanders. "It's a very special recognition. Where I was captain (NYI), there was a great history, a great passion. I never took it for granted."

Tavares also spoke of the approach he would take in carrying out his new duties. "You just go out there, do the best you can, be yourself and handle things whenever you feel necessary. And leaning on the people around you. That's the best way I can say."

Like his experience with the Islanders, Tavares is once again the captain of a team with "great history, great passion," as he beings his tenure in Toronto. The spotlight will shine more brightly and the pressure will be more immense in his new hockey home.

Getting back to his first contest as the newly minted captain, Tavares and his teammates skated to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. "To start the night off like we did and go out and play like we did, I'll never forget it."

It was a much different scene when the Toronto Maple Leafs began their 1927-28 season with new captain, Clarence "Hap" Day.

There was no fanfare or 'C' on his jersey when Day became captain. He was elected captain on November 1 at training camp, and as The Toronto Daily Star reflected, "He should prove a real leader." And talk about no pomp or circumstance, Day didn't even take the ceremonial opening face-off, a responsibly now usually bestowed upon the team captain, when the Leafs opened at home (Arena Gardens on Mutual Street) against the New York Rangers on November 15, 1927.

When the Honourable WD Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, dropped the puck, it wasn't Day at centre ice, but Leaf forward Bill Carson. He faced-off against New York's Bill Cook.

Although the Leafs dropped their season opener to the Rangers by a 4-2 score, Hap Day and the Leafs' defence core were recognized for their play. "Last night Happy Day, Gorman (Ed) and Duncan (Art) played well," observed a newspaper account. They form a better defence than was in front of Roach (Goalie, John Ross) last year ... Day was the best last night, the former Midland boy is in for a great year."

In addition to his play against the Rangers, Day demonstrated his leadership in the dressing room. During the game against New York, Ranger defenceman, "Taffy" Abel, had two bones above his wrist broken and was confined to a Toronto hospital. Two days later, Hap Day made his rounds in the Leafs' locker room and collected money to send flowers and fruit to Abel's hospital room.

In game two, also on home ice, the Leafs got on the winning track with 4-2 win over Chicago. The Globe and Mail reported that, "Hap Day, captain of the Leafs, was the most effective man on the ice. He started the Leafs on the way to victory in the first period by combining with McCaffery (Bert) and shooting the first goal of the game."

In one of Toronto's greatest seasons, Hap Day became the first captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs to hoist the Stanley Cup. In 1931, the Leafs moved to their new home at Maple Leaf Gardens, and on April 9, 1932, they downed the New York Rangers to capture the Cup.

Leaf Nation can only hope John Tavares can emulate the success Hap Day had as Leafs' captain.