John Tavares Wants To Stay With the Islanders, Disputes Toronto Rumors

Oh Captain, my Captain.  John Tavares went on Toronto’s SportsNet 590 The Fan to discuss, of all things, Toronto Blue Jays baseball.  The conversation quickly turned from “Joey Bats” and Melvin Upton Jr. to more pressing matters for New York Islanders fans: what will happen on July 1, 2018. Tavares is slated for free agency that day, and there have long been rumors of him being courted by his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Well, sorry Leafs fans, but JT pretty much put those to bed.
“I’ve always showed my commitment, appreciation and desire to play on Long Island, I would love for that to continue for the long haul,” said Tavares.  “Some of the greatest players in the game, they’ve been able to spend their entire careers somewhere. I hope I’m in that same position”.

There will be no “I’m coming home” Tavares in Toronto video and all of us will be better off for it. #Isles

— IslesBlog (@IslesBlog) July 26, 2016

SN 590 host Andrew Walker asked Tavares point blank about joining the Leafs in 2 years and Tavares had as usual, a short and sweet answer: “I would not count on that”.  Tavares also discredited the knocks, presumably from mainstream hockey media, about the Barclay’s Center and playing in New York.  “Until you’ve played [here]… been around our fan base, you don’t really know what it’s like.  There are a lot of opinions that are really far off, and don’t really have a good pulse of what’s going on.  I would love to see it through and lift the Stanley Cup there.”

When @91Tavares tells a TOR radio station he wants to be an @NYIslanders for life ? ? #Isles pic.twitter.com/0en67oa5Nw

— IslesBlog (@IslesBlog) July 26, 2016

That’s the best thing Isles fans have heard since Chris Cuthbert told us the 23 year wait was over.
You can listen to the whole interview HERE