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Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares slept through 4 Nations overtime

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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Feb 21 2025, 7:50 pm
Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares slept through 4 Nations overtime
Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images

Long before he was starring for the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Tavares became a household name in Canada largely due to his performances for the country’s national team.

A two-time gold medal winner at the World Juniors, and once each at the Olympics, World Championships, and Spengler Cup, few players have become as synonymous with Canadian hockey as much as Tavares.

So it might surprise you that while millions of Canadians watched Connor McDavid’s iconic game-winning goal last night in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, Tavares wasn’t one of them.

A father of three, the 34-year-old opted to turn his TV off when the game went into an extra frame, he told reporters today.

“I went to bed after the third period. I turned it on this morning. My kids get up at the same time,” Tavares told reporters today. “You never know how long the game was going to go with how well both teams were playing, how tight the game was.”

He’s a man of routine, we suppose.

Tavares’ teammate Mitch Marner set up the game-winning goal, while Auston Matthews was on the losing end of the game. Both players finished the tournament with three points: a goal and two assists for Marner, while Matthews was goalless but had three assists.

Some consider Tavares snubbed due to his lengthy resume and strong season, as he’s put up 45 points through 48 games so far this year. With the Olympics less than 12 months away, Tavares will have an uphill battle to prove to the Hockey Canada brass he’s deserving of another shot to wear the red and white in a best-on-best competition one more time.

The Leafs return to action on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, when they host the Carolina Hurricanes. Due to the lengthy break caused by the 4 Nations, it’s actually the only home game the team has all of February. But with three games in the next four days starting tomorrow, perhaps a well-rested Tavares will have the last laugh.

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