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Toronto Maple Leafs star John Tavares scored his 500th career goal on Wednesday night.
Hockey fans had one game of choice on Wednesday night after the entire league played on Tuesday. Wednesday night saw John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs hit the road to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately, this was not the most competitive game of the season.
Cole Sillinger scored twice while Charlie Coyle dished out four assists. The Blue Jackets held a 5-1 lead at one point, and largely controlled the game. Columbus eventually won 6-3, moving to 6-4-0 on the young 2025-26 NHL season.
It wasn’t doom and gloom for every Maple Leafs player, though. Veteran John Tavares scored his 500th career goal on Wednesday night. He is the 49th player in league history to reach this milestone.
Tavares and Toronto certainly wanted to win. Especially given how the season has gone in the early going of them. Still, the veteran forward took a bit of time to address his milestone following the game in Columbus on Wednesday.
“You play this game to win as a team, and it’s all about the team,” Tavares said, via NHL.com. “And you know, you’d like to have had it made more of an impact in the game. But for sure, in the days ahead and moments ahead, I’ll appreciate it more.
“Obviously, a lot’s gone into it and a lot of support along the way from many people, mainly from my teammates and coaches and people close to me, my family. So, thank you.”
John Tavares Earns High Auston Matthews Praise
Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesJohn Tavares has proven to be a bright spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
Tavares has had a largely positive impact on the Maple Leafs since joining in 2018. He has helped his hometown team win its first playoff series in 20 years when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023. This past postseason saw Toronto come within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals, as well.
Early on this year, he has continued to make an impact. Tavares leads the Maple Leafs with six goals, and is one of three Toronto players with more than 10 points this year. He is tied with Matthew Knies for second among skaters with 14 points.
“It’s amazing,” said Auston Matthews, longtime teammate of Tavares as well as his successor as captain, via NHL.com. “I can’t say enough great things about Johnny, the person that he is, the teammate, the professional, the guy that shows up to the rink every day and is one of the hardest workers, takes care of himself in all different ways.
“So, I feel very lucky to call him a great friend, a teammate, a guy that all of us are extremely happy for. Tonight’s a big accomplishment.”
Maple Leafs Reeling From Early Season Struggles
While Tavares has been a bright spot, Toronto as a whole has struggled to begin the season. They have lost four of their last six games at this point. And there are some very concerning signs for the games to come.
A major strength for Toronto last season was its goaltending, for instance. They held the third-best team save percentage in the NHL last year. However, the goaltending has not been there in 2025-26. They are currently in the bottom 10 in team save percentage this year.
This is only one issue plaguing the Leafs. Overall, the team has not looked like its former selves this year. They will look to get back on track when they continue their road trip on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Tristin McKinstry Tristin has over 10 years experience writing at various blogs. He has spent the last three years gaining professional experience in the sports media world. He currently works with ClutchPoints and Pro Football & Sports Network alongside Heavy Sports. More about Tristin McKinstry
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