Tavares re-signs with the Maple Leafs on a four-year contract extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed forward John Tavares to a four-year contract extension worth an average of US$4.38 million per season, the club announced Friday.

Tavares recently completed a seven-year, $77 million deal that he signed as a free agent in 2018. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old centre from Mississauga, Ont., had 38 goals and 36 assists in 75 games in 2024-25. His goal total was the most he had scored in a season since 2018-19, when he had a career-high 47 for the Leafs.

On Instagram, he called Toronto “an incredible place to play” and said it’s “an honour to pull on the Maple Leaf and wear the blue and white.”

“Even though I obviously left some money out there, I’ve done pretty well, I’m still doing pretty well and I get to play for an amazing club in a great city — a place where I’m from and a team that’s got a real opportunity to win,” Tavares said on a video call with reporters. “I wanted to make it work and find a way to make a deal that was very good for both sides.”

Tavares was the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders. He has 494 goals and 620 assists in 1,184 games.

He has also added 28 goals and 25 assists in 75 playoff appearances.

Tavares won gold with Canada at the 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

“We would all agree there was going to be an opportunity for John to make a lot more money elsewhere, and his focus was staying here,” Toronto general manager Brad Treliving said. “His work and his commitment and his desire, it sort of steered the process on this negotiation, so full marks and full credit to John.”

Meanwhile, fellow Leafs forward Mitch Marner is expected to test free agency on July 1. Treliving said Thursday that unless there’s a significant change in contract talks, Marner will hit the open market.

The 27-year-old winger from Markham, Ont., is coming off a career-best 102-point season and has 741 points in 657 games since drafted fourth overall in 2015.

The Leafs can still re-sign Marner after free agency opens, but would lose the right to offer him an eight-year contract.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2025.