Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will limit home games to a 50 percent crowd capacity amid Ontario's new rules to combat the COVID-19 surge, per Sportsnet.

"This measure is being taken to reduce opportunities for close contact in high-risk indoor settings with large crowds and when masks are not always worn," the province wrote in a press release.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered more explanation for the decision in a press conference.

"Let's be very clear, you've got to target the largest venues," Ford said.

He also added: "Sports games, large concerts—people aren't masking as much as (organizers) implore them to mask. They all aren't masking. You're sitting side by side for hours. Compared to a restaurant, that's comparing apples and bananas as far as I'm concerned, not even apples and oranges."

The province unveiled the new rules Wednesday, and they will go into effect Saturday. They are in effect for all indoor venues that can hold 1,000 or more people.

COVID-19 cases have steadily been on the rise since Oct. 11, per the World Health Organization Coronavirus Dashboard. The week of Oct. 11 saw 2,822,302 confirmed cases worldwide, while the week of Dec. 6 had 4,253,897 confirmed cases.

The situation in Ontario mirrors the COVID-19 picture worldwide. Per the province's official website, there were 269 new cases on Oct. 26. That number has since jumped to 1,808 reported new cases on Dec. 15.

The Raptors were scheduled to host the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, but that game has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Bulls roster. Therefore, the limited capacity mandate will begin to take effect on Saturday when the Golden State Warriors visit Scotiabank Arena.

Ottawa is out of town until Sunday, when the Sens host the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs' next home game is Dec. 23 against the St. Louis Blues.

Auston Matthews will miss least the first three games of the regular season as he recovers from a wrist injury, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.   

Toronto opens its season Wednesday at home against the Montreal Canadiens, and the star center will also miss an away-and-home set against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and Saturday.

"It's coming along well," Matthews told reporters on Sept. 13. "Right now it's a couple more weeks until I can kind of get out of the splint and start kind of really rehabbing and build my strength back. But I mean, as far as timeline goes, I'm going to get back on the ice this week. I'm really hopeful to be able to be ready for Game 1. That's my goal right now. Just take it day-by-day and see how I'm feeling."

The 24-year-old won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2016-17 and the Maurice Richard Trophy as the NHL's No. 1 goal scorer last year. He scored a career-high 41 goals in just 52 games in a regular season shortened to 56 contests because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft has lived up to the hype and then some. The California native has scored 199 goals over his five seasons and never fewer than 34 in any given year.

Toronto had missed the playoffs in 10 of the 11 seasons prior to his arrival. Since then, the Maple Leafs have made the postseason each year.

On Aug. 13, the Maple Leafs announced that Matthews underwent successful wrist surgery.

"Matthews encountered discomfort upon increasing his on-ice training earlier this week," the statement read. "After consultations with specialists and Maple Leafs medical staff, surgery was the recommended course of action. His recovery will be a minimum of six weeks."

Being without Matthews for any amount of time is a tremendous blow to a team that heavily relies on his goal-scoring. He was also tied for second on the Leafs last year with a plus-minus of 21.

Without him, the onus is on players such as Mitchell Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander to keep the Leafs offense in sync.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on March 13, the NHL announced Thursday.

The outdoor game will take place at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, mostly known for being the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.

This will be the sixth Heritage Classic dating back to 2003, with the last one taking place in 2019 between the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. Toronto was the only Canadian team yet to take part in this event, while Buffalo will be first United States squad included.

Both teams still have experience with outdoor games, with Buffalo competing at the Winter Classic in 2008 and 2018 while Toronto won the 2014 version against the Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs also appeared in the 2017 NHL Centennial Classic and a 2018 game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. 

Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams discussed the upcoming battle:

It's an honor to play in the Heritage Classic game. It will be an incredible atmosphere and we are thrilled to be able to play the Maple Leafs in this special event. Many of us fell in love with hockey while playing on the pond or in backyards, so this will give us a chance to get back to our roots while celebrating the game of hockey.

The stadium atmosphere and local rivalry will keep things exciting for this battle, which will help as Buffalo continues its long-term rebuild. 

The Sabres finished last season with the fewest points in the NHL (37 in 56 games) and missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season. It was the fifth time in this stretch they finished last in their division.

Toronto has been much better in the regular season but continues to struggle in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Montreal Canadiens last season. The squad hasn't advanced beyond the first round in any of the last five tries. 

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews was announced Thursday as the cover athlete for EA Sports' NHL 22 video game.

"I think it's a good cover. Not many people get to be on the cover of the video game. I consider myself pretty lucky," Matthews told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I think it's going to be a pretty sweet game."

It's the second time the 23-year-old center has earned the honor after previously gracing the cover of NHL 20. The four-time All-Star told Wyshynski he's not the biggest video game fan, but if he does pick up the sticks it's usually a sports game.

"I've always played video games here and there. I've never been a super-gamer kind of guy, but I do enjoy playing them a lot," Matthews said. "NHL is one that I always enjoyed playing, and looked forward to getting every Christmas. But I played a little FIFA once in a while, which gives you the itch to play the sport itself."

Matthews, who underwent wrist surgery Friday that'll halt his offseason training for at least six weeks, is coming off another standout year for Toronto.

The first overall pick in the 2016 draft led the NHL with 41 goals, which was eight more than the second-ranked player (Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, 33), and also chipped in 25 assists for 66 points in 52 games.

Matthews has scored at least 34 goals in all five of his seasons with the Leafs, finding the net a total of 199 times in 334 career games.

Toronto will start the 2021-22 season Oct. 13 when it hosts the rival Montreal Canadiens.

NHL 22 is scheduled for an Oct. 15 worldwide release on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews underwent wrist surgery on Friday and will be out a minimum of six weeks, the team announced.

That puts his return right around the Leafs' Sept. 25 preseason opener against the Montreal Canadiens.

Matthews was one of the best players in the league last season, winning the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring leader, netting 41 goals in 52 games.

The 23-year-old missed the NHL All-Star Weekend last season to recover from a wrist injury. That has nagged him since January 2020, though Matthews is far from injury-prone. He missed time for upper-body injuries in 2017 and missed four weeks with a shoulder issue in 2018.

The center finished the 2019-20 campaign with 80 points (47 goals, 33 assists), earning votes for both the Hart and Selke Trophies. 

Toronto is expected to contend for a Stanley Cup once again in 2021-22, but that largely hinges on the health and effectiveness of Matthews. Already that's been thrown into doubt for the start of the season as the Arizona native begins his rehab process and works toward a return to the ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said Wednesday he is doing "really well" after suffering a concussion in Game 1 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens but does not remember the hit and subsequent collision that led to his injury.

"I remember the whole day, my first couple of shifts. And then parts of it [after]. As I was on the ice and getting put on the stretcher and getting into the ambulance is when I really started to get a grasp of it," Tavares told reporters. 

Tavares was injured when he had an accidental collision with Corey Perry following a hit by Ben Chiarot. Tavares missed the rest of the series, and Toronto was eliminated in seven games after holding a 3-1 lead.

"He's had no setbacks here. That's very positive. Things seems to be progressing very well with regards to the knee and he's had no setbacks with regards to the concussion. He's made good progress and they're going to continue to be cautious and safe about it," coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters before Game 7. "His recovery has been quite remarkable, even from the morning after the injury when he was pretty much back to himself. He's had no issues since then. It's a relief to him on that front."

Tavares also participated in a morning skate Monday before Game 7.

The Leafs star has four years remaining on his contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares will not be available for Game 7 Monday against the Montreal Canadiens, per Dave McCarthy of NHL.com. 

The center hasn't played since Game 1 of the series but took part in the team's optional morning skate Monday.

"His recovery has been quite remarkable," coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters.

Tavares was taken off the ice on a stretcher in Game 1 of Toronto's first-round playoff series against the Canadiens. While he avoided significant structural damage when his head accidentally hit the knee of Montreal winger Corey Perry as he was falling, he still suffered a knee injury and concussion in a scary scene.

Mark Masters of TSN noted the initial timeline for a return was at least two weeks, while Game 7 represents 11 days since the injuries.

When healthy, Tavares is one of the Maple Leafs' leaders as a six-time All-Star who has four seasons of more than 80 points on his resume.

He finished the 2020-21 campaign with 50 points on 19 goals and 31 assists in 56 games.

Tavares is a primary reason there is optimism around the Maple Leafs as they search for their first Stanley Cup title since 1967, but they will have to rely even more on the offense of Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews if he is sidelined.

Toronto Maple Leafs star John Tavares announced Wednesday that he would match any donation made to Halton Food for Thought, Rexdale Youth Membership or Special Olympics Canada, up to $50,000.

Tavares is currently out injured with a concussion and knee injury suffered in Game 1 of the team's playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens. He's already been ruled out for the duration of that series, which Toronto currently leads 3-1.

In the wake of his injury, the John Tavares Foundation—which he founded with his wife Aryne and works to support children and families across Canada—received a number of donations.

Now, the Maple Leafs captain is looking to reciprocate and double the impact of donations to help children in need around Canada. 

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas announced Saturday center John Tavares has been "cleared of all structural damage to his head, neck and spine" after being injured Thursday in Game 1 of the team's first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Dubas noted Tavares suffered a knee injury in addition to a concussion and will be out at least two weeks.

Here's the full update from Dubas:

Tavares was falling toward the ice after a hit from Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot when his head accidentally struck the knee of Habs winger Corey Perry. He initially tried to get up while being treated by trainers but fell right back to the ice, and the decision was then made to bring out a stretcher.

The Leafs announced Friday their captain was discharged from the hospital and would be "out indefinitely":

Dubas added the knee injury will require a minimum of two weeks out of the lineup, but their "primary concern" is making sure he fully recovers from the head injury.

Montreal went on to score a 2-1 win in Game 1 on the strength of a third-period short-handed goal by Paul Byron.

The game also featured a fight between Perry and the Leafs' Nick Foligno after Tavares' exit, which Foligno said was necessary for the series to move forward without issue.

"Our captain is laying on the ice. They would have done the same if [it was] their captain," Foligno told reporters. "[The hit] wasn't malicious. [The fight] takes away any grey [area]. Perry's a big boy. It just allows everyone to go back and play."

Tavares sent a group text to his teammates following the series opener to say he was "feeling better."

Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday night in Toronto at 7 p.m. ET on CNBC in the U.S. and CBC in Canada.