Junior during the
2006–07 OHL season. During that season he was selected as an OHL representative for the
ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. Tavares petitioned to gain eligibility to play
major junior in the
Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the spring of 2005. As OHL rules did not allow for players under age 15 to be drafted, Consequently, Tavares is the youngest player to ever be drafted in the OHL, although
Bobby Orr was signed and had played at a younger age. The Oshawa Generals held the first pick in the 2005 draft, and they selected Tavares, earning him the
Jack Ferguson Award, which is given to the player picked first overall in the OHL Priority Selection. Tavares played his first OHL game on September 23, 2005, scoring his first OHL goal in a game held just three days after his 15th birthday. He showed he could play in the OHL immediately, scoring ten goals in his first nine games with the Generals, and finished the
2005–06 season with 77 points, including 45 goals. Tavares was named to the OHL's all-rookie team, and won both the
Emms Family Award and
CHL Rookie of the Year awards as the top first-year player in both the OHL and CHL respectively. As a 16-year-old in
2006–07, Tavares was selected to represent the OHL for two games in January for the annual
ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, including one game in
Oshawa. Later that month, on January 25, 2007, Tavares registered a seven-point night in a 9–6 win against the
Windsor Spitfires. He scored four goals and three assists, including his 50th goal of the season in his 44th game. Towards the end of the season, on March 16, 2007, Tavares recorded his 70th and 71st goals of the season, breaking
Wayne Gretzky's OHL record for most goals by a 16-year-old. He was awarded the
Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player in the league, and named the
CHL Player of the Year. Tavares led the OHL in scoring until he missed several games to represent the
Canada men's national junior ice hockey team at the
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. As Tavares was participating in the
2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, it was speculated that the Generals were ready to trade him to the
London Knights. Tavares' future with the Generals had been questioned since the beginning of the season as the Generals were not expected to seriously contend for the championship, while the Knights were among the league leaders. in November 2008. He was later traded to the
London Knights in January 2009. Tavares made his debut with the Knights on January 11 against the
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. Making his return to Oshawa at the 2009
CHL Top Prospects Game as captain of Team Orr, he recorded an assist in a 6–1 win over Team Cherry, but injured his shoulder after
Zack Kassian of the
Peterborough Petes checked him behind the net. On March 8, 2009, Tavares set the OHL goal-scoring record with his 214th goal, passing the previous record held by
Peter Lee. The next day, he received his third OHL Player of the Week recognition of the season.
Professional Although he was born five days after the September 15 cutoff date for eligibility in the
2008 NHL entry draft, there was a significant effort made to allow Tavares into the Draft. Following his 72-goal campaign in 2006–07, Tavares' agents asked the NHL and
NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) to make an exception for Tavares similar to the one the OHL had made in 2005. The attempt was unsuccessful and Tavares was required to wait until 2009 to participate in the
NHL entry draft. In October 2007, it was reported that then-
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager
John Ferguson Jr. had offered the 17-year-old Tavares a spot with the team's
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Toronto Marlies. However, like the NHL, the AHL declined to amend its by-laws and Tavares subsequently returned to the OHL. The 2009 draft class was led by Tavares, who was selected first overall by the
New York Islanders.
New York Islanders (2009–2018) in November 2009. The
2009–10 season was his
rookie season in the NHL. On July 15, 2009, Tavares signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders. His first NHL game was in the pre-season in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. He spent 22 minutes and 50 seconds on the ice alongside linemates
Doug Weight and
Sean Bergenheim in the Islanders' 3–2 loss. Weight, a veteran NHLer, said, "John's going to be a big piece of [an Islander rebuilding effort]." Tavares led NHL rookies in scoring throughout much of his first season. In December 2009, he scored five consecutive Islanders goals over a four-game span to tie the club record for most consecutive goals by one player. He scored an empty-net goal against the
Atlanta Thrashers on December 3, 2009, and both Islanders goals on both December 9, 2009, against the
Philadelphia Flyers and December 10, against his hometown team, the
Toronto Maple Leafs. The record was originally set by
Bryan Trottier, when he scored five consecutive goals in a 1982 game against the
Philadelphia Flyers. On March 17, 2010, Tavares scored five points (two goals and three assists) in a 5–2 win over the
Vancouver Canucks. At the end of the season, Tavares finished second in rookie scoring, behind
Colorado Avalanche forward
Matt Duchene, with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) in all 82 games played. As New York opened up their season at home against the
Dallas Stars on October 9, 2010, Tavares suffered a mild
concussion late during the first period. The Stars'
Adam Burish bumped into Tavares, and the latter was unable to return to the game. He scored his first career
hat-trick on October 23, in a 4-3 loss to the
Florida Panthers. He then scored his second career NHL hat-trick, as well as his first career natural hat-trick, on January 15, 2011, in a 5-3 win against the
Buffalo Sabres. On September 14, 2011, Tavares signed a new six-year, $33 million contract with the Islanders effective from the
2012–13 season through to the end of the
2017–18 season. After being held pointless in the first two games of the
2011–12 season, Tavares had back-to-back four-point games against the
Tampa Bay Lightning and
New York Rangers, respectively. From December 29, 2011, to January 21, 2012, Tavares had 21 points in a 12-game point streak, seven of which were multi-point games. He was selected to play in the
2012 NHL All-Star Game. In his first career
All-Star Game, he recorded one goal and one assist. Additionally, during the 2011–12 season, Tavares was named as an alternate captain for New York. . Tavares played with
Mark Streit in Switzerland for
SC Bern while the
2012–13 NHL lock-out took place. During the shortened 2012–13 season, Tavares was third in the NHL with 28 goals (Only behind
Washington Capitals forward and captain
Alexander Ovechkin, who had 32 as the league leader and Tampa Bay Lightning forward
Steven Stamkos, who had 29, respectively. He helped the Islanders reach the
Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007 after the Islanders finished the season narrowly qualifying as the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference with Tavares scoring 47 points (28 goals, 19 assists) in all 48 games played. Tavares was also named a finalist for the
Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most valuable player in the regular season, which was eventually awarded to Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. He made his playoff debut on May 1, 2013, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tavares scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal against Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-André Fleury in Game 3 of the
2013 playoffs. He would finish with three goals, two assists and five points in all six games as the Islanders were eliminated in six games by the top-seeded Penguins. On September 9, 2013, Tavares was named as the 14th captain in New York Islanders history, replacing former Islander
Mark Streit of the Philadelphia Flyers, who served as team captain since 2011. On February 19, 2014, during the
2014 Winter Olympics, Tavares suffered a torn
medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a torn
meniscus in his knee during the quarterfinal game against
Latvia, forcing him to miss the remainder of the Olympics as well as the remainder of the 2013–14 season. At the time of his injury, Tavares ranked third in the NHL with 24 goals, 42 assists and 66 points in 59 games. was his last season with the Islanders. Half way into the 2014–15 season, he was selected for the
2015 NHL All-Star Game, along with teammate
Jaroslav Halák. Tavares finished the 2014–15 season as runner up for the
Art Ross Trophy with 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in all 82 games played, one point behind the recipient, Dallas Stars forward and captain
Jamie Benn. Additionally, Tavares was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time in his career; ultimately ceding the award to
Montreal Canadiens goaltender
Carey Price. On April 19, 2015, Tavares scored 15 seconds into overtime against Washington Capitals goaltender
Braden Holtby in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the
2015 playoffs. The goal, which gave the Islanders a 2–1 victory in the game and a 2–1 lead in the series, was the first game-winning overtime goal in the playoffs for the Islanders since
1993. Despite this, the Capitals would go on to win the series in seven games. Tavares scored the first regular season goal for the Islanders at
Barclays Center in a 3–2 overtime loss to the
Chicago Blackhawks on Blackhawks' goaltender
Corey Crawford during the first game of the
2015–16 season on October 9, 2015. On March 12, 2016, Tavares scored his 200th career NHL goal in a game against the
Boston Bruins on Bruins' goaltender
Tuukka Rask. That season, he was also named to the
NHL All-Star Game for the third time in his career and was voted captain of the
Metropolitan Division. He finished the 2015–16 season playing in 78 games with 33 goals, 37 assists and 70 points. Tavares was named a finalist for the
Mark Messier Leadership Award, ultimately ceding the award to
Nashville Predators defenceman and captain
Shea Weber. On April 24, Game 6 of the
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the
Florida Panthers, trailing 1–0 in the final minute of play, assisted by
Nikolay Kulemin and
Nick Leddy, Tavares scored the game-tying goal on Panthers goaltender
Roberto Luongo off a loose puck in the crease with 53.2 seconds left in regulation. He finished the job by scoring the series-clinching goal in double overtime, winning a playoff series for the Islanders for the first time since 1993 before getting ousted in the second round in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning. On January 13, 2017, in a game against the Florida Panthers, Tavares scored his 500th NHL point in his 550th career NHL game, making him the first player from his draft class to reach the milestone. Tavares' contract with the Islanders was set to expire following the completion of the 2017–18 season, during which he recorded 37 goals, 47 assists and 84 points in all 82 games. With Tavares set to become an
unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, he decided to test the free-agent market by meeting with six teams in the days leading up to the opening of the signing window on July 1, including a meeting with the Islanders to contemplate re-signing before hitting free agency. Although many analysts predicted that Tavares would sign a new contract with New York before he hit the open market, the re-signing deadline passed without a new contract being signed, and Tavares officially became a free agent at noon (
EDT) on July 1. Many publications called Tavares the biggest free agent in the modern history of the NHL. Just before 1 pm, almost one hour into the free agency period, it became public knowledge that Tavares had informed the Islanders he would be leaving the team and signing with Toronto.
Toronto Maple Leafs (2018–present) On July 1, 2018, it was announced that Tavares had signed a seven-year, $77 million contract with his hometown team, the
Toronto Maple Leafs. Tavares cited "Toronto's chances as a
Stanley Cup contender, as well as living out his childhood dream to play for his hometown team", as his reason for signing the contract. Tavares rejected higher-paying offers in favour of joining the Maple Leafs, including a seven-year, $91 million offer from the
San Jose Sharks that would have made Tavares the highest-paid player in the NHL. In his debut for the Maple Leafs in the
2018–19 season opener on October 4, 2018, against the
Montreal Canadiens, Tavares scored his first goal for the club on goaltender
Carey Price in a 3–2 overtime win. On October 7, Tavares recorded his ninth career NHL hat-trick (and first for Toronto) in a 7–6 overtime victory over the
Chicago Blackhawks. On January 10, 2019, Tavares recorded his 300th goal in a 4–2 win over the
New Jersey Devils on Devils goaltender
Keith Kinkaid. Tavares made his first return to
Long Island to play the Islanders on February 28, in a highly publicized, sold-out game. Tavares was relentlessly booed and heckled by Islanders fans throughout the match, including during his tribute video, and items were thrown at Tavares on the ice. The Islanders would win the game 6–1, scoring six unanswered goals after Toronto initially scored early in the game. On March 17, Tavares recorded his 700th career NHL point with his 40th goal of the season in a 6–2 loss to the
Ottawa Senators; in scoring that goal on Senators goaltender
Anders Nilsson, Tavares also became the third player in Maple Leaf history to record 40 goals in his first season with the team. On March 26, Tavares recorded his tenth career NHL hat-trick (and first four-goal game) in a 7–5 win over the
Florida Panthers. In so doing, he became just the third player in modern team history (since 1943) to record multiple hat-tricks in his debut season with the club, following
Wilf Paiement and
Daniel Marois. In the Maple Leafs' next game against the Islanders, Tavares recorded his 87th point of the season (a new career-high and his first point against his former team) in the 2–1 win, which clinched a playoff berth for Toronto. Tavares finished the season playing in all 82 games with 47 goals, 41 assists and 88 points recorded while the Maple Leafs as a team finished as the sixth seed in the East for the second consecutive season. His 47 goals led the team in goals and was third overall in the NHL only behind the 50 goals scored by
Leon Draisaitl of the
Edmonton Oilers and the league-leading 51 goals scored by
Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals. In the opening round of the
2019 playoffs, the Maple Leafs would be eliminated in seven games by the third-seeded
Boston Bruins for the second consecutive year and surrendering a 3–2 series lead this time around. In the series, Tavares would also record two goals and three assists for five points in all seven games played. Prior to the
2019–20 season, Tavares was granted a leave of absence from the team's first pre-season game in
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in September 2019 to spend with his wife and newborn son. On October 2, 2019, just before the first game of the NHL season against the Ottawa Senators, Tavares was named the 25th captain in the history of the Maple Leafs, filling a position that had been vacant for more than years since the trade of
Dion Phaneuf. After the game, Perry felt remorse for his role on the incident: "I don't know what else to do there. I tried to jump. I know Johnny pretty well and just hope he's OK." Tavares was taken to
St. Michael's Hospital, and was discharged the following day, but was ruled out indefinitely with a concussion. In his absence, the Leafs would rally to win three games in a row, but would ultimately lose the series to the Canadiens in seven games, surrendering a
3–1 series lead in the process. Tavares recorded 27 goals and 49 assists for 76 points in 79 games during the
2021–22 season as the Maple Leafs as a team finished fourth in the East. In the
2022 playoffs, the Maple Leafs would once again fall in seven games, this time to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion and fifth-seeded
Tampa Bay Lightning, despite initially holding a 3–2 series lead. Tavares would end the series with three goals and assists for six points in all seven games played. On November 15, 2022, Tavares scored his 400th NHL goal in a 5–2 victory over the
Pittsburgh Penguins. He played his 1,000th NHL game on January 29, 2023, a 5–1 victory against the Washington Capitals in which he had two assists.
Forbes remarked on the occasion that "in terms of individual achievements, the 32-year-old has absolutely realized the lofty potential that made him the first-overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft." Tavares finished the season playing in 80 games and recording 36 goals, 44 assists and 80 points. The Maple Leafs finished fourth in the league in the
2022–23 season, second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference, setting up a second consecutive first-round meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the Leafs were generally identified as the favourites going into the series as the higher seeded team, the long history of failure to advance past the first round was widely acknowledged. Many suggested that the outcome of the series would have major ramifications for the team going forward, including the status of both general manager
Kyle Dubas and head coach
Sheldon Keefe, as well as the long-term future of the core that included Tavares. Tavares recorded his first ever playoff hat-trick on April 20, in a
first-round game against the sixth-seeded Lightning. He would go on to score the series-winning goal against Lightning goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy in overtime in Game 6, sending the Maple Leafs to the second round for the first time since
2004. Tavares and the Maple Leafs would eventually be defeated in the second round by the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers in five games. On December 11, 2023, entering a game against his former team, the New York Islanders, with 998 career points, Tavares recorded a goal and an assist to reach 1,000 career points in the NHL, becoming the
98th player to do so. His 1,000th point came from an assist on a game-tying goal by
Morgan Rielly with 6.4 seconds left in the third period to send the game to overtime, which the Maple Leafs ultimately lost 4–3. The Islanders organization offered a congratulatory tribute to Tavares on the jumbotron prior to the overtime period, which was largely booed by the home New York fans in attendance. He ended the
2023–24 campaign with 29 goals and 36 assists for 65 points in 80 games along with a goal and an assist for two points in all seven games as the Leafs were defeated in the first round in seven games by the Boston Bruins once more. Entering his final season under contract, Tavares relinquished his role as captain to
Auston Matthews on August 14, 2024, instead stepping into the role of alternate captain, the same position he was in during the 2018–19 campaign, his first season with the team. On December 20, Tavares recorded his 600th career assist on a goal by
William Nylander in a 6–3 win over the
Buffalo Sabres. On December 23, Tavares scored both goals in a 5–2 loss to the
Winnipeg Jets on Jets' goaltender
Connor Hellebuyck. The first goal would mark his 200th goal as a Maple Leaf, becoming the fifth player in NHL history (besides
Wayne Gretzky,
Mark Messier,
Keith Tkachuk and
Lanny McDonald) to record at least 200 goals with more than one organization. He ended the
2024–25 season with 38 goals and 36 assists for 74 points in 75 games. His 38 goals were second on the team and his 74 points were fourth. In the
2025 playoffs, Tavares and the Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in six games before falling in the second round in seven games by the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Tavares ended the playoffs with five goals and two assists for seven points in all 13 contests. On June 27, 2025, the Maple Leafs signed Tavares to a four-year contract extension, worth an average $4.38 million per season. The contract was viewed as a significant hometown discount from Tavares in an effort to remain with his childhood team and provide the club with cap space flexibility, with Tavares being expected to potentially earn several million more dollars a season as an unrestricted free agent, although Tavares had expressed his intentions to resign with Toronto throughout his final contract year. On October 29, 2025, Tavares scored his 500th goal against the
Columbus Blue Jackets, becoming the 49th player to do so. ==International play==