Tavares did not see playoff action with the Islanders till his fourth season, but they did not make it past the first round. Those are very respectful numbers for a rookie he had the most points for the Islanders that year. He went on to appear in all 82 games that season, scoring 24 goals and 30 assists for a total of 54 points. To the surprise of no one, Tavares made the Islanders opening night roster for the 2009/10 season, and he did not look back. John Tavares had taken the next step in his hockey career and was officially a part of an NHL franchise. With the first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders are proud to select, from the London Knights, center John Tavares. A 1.75 points per game pace is outstanding. He had 247 games played, scoring 215 goals and 218 assists for a total of 433 points. For those of you who may be wondering what Tavares’ career totals in the OHL were, don’t worry I got you. He would also appear in 14 playoff games with the Knights that year, scoring ten goals and adding 11 assists for a total of 21 points. He went on to appear in 24 games with the Knights, scoring 32 goals and 18 assists, giving him 50 points, an even better pace than he had with the Generals in the first half of the season. You may be wondering why did he only play 32 games? It was because the Generals, who were looking to get a head start on a rebuild, traded Tavares to the powerhouse of the OHL, the London Knights. He appeared in 32 games for the Generals that year, scoring 26 goals and 28 assists for a total of 54 points, a great pace for the 18-year-old phenom. His last kick at the can showed NHL teams just how dominant of a player he could be. He wanted to be effective both offensively and defensively, even if that meant his point totals suffered for it. He was focusing and working incredibly hard on becoming a complete 200 foot player. Something was becoming more noticeable in Tavares’ game that year, though. The Generals went back to the playoffs that year, and Tavares also appeared in 15 games where he scored just three goals, but he added 13 assists for a total of 16 points. He skated in 59 games with the Generals in the 07/08 season, where he scored 40 goals and 78 assists, giving him a total of 118 points … still incredible numbers.
While Tavares did have a fantastic third season in the OHL, he did not top his second year numbers.
His incredible sophomore season left people wondering, where can he go from here? How can he possibly top those numbers? The Generals also made the playoffs that season, where Tavares played in 9 games, scoring seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points. He would be named the CHL Player of The Year that year. In the 06/07 season, Tavares appeared in 67 games where he scored 72 goals and added 62 assists giving him a total of 134 points … simply outstanding. He returned for his second year and blew those rookie numbers out of the water. Those numbers were so impressive that Tavares would be named the OHL rookie of the year. Those are outstanding numbers for any rookie in the OHL, let alone a guy who was underage. Tavares did not disappoint either in his 2005/06 rookie season, he appeared in 65 games where he scored 45 goals and added 32 assists for a total of 77 points. Of course, it was pretty clear who they were going to take with that selection … John Tavares. After the league decided to grant Tavares exceptional status, it made him eligible for the 2005 OHL Draft, where the Oshawa Generals held the first overall pick. For those who have followed Tavares’ career, he checked every single one of those boxes, even at the young age of 14. They must also prove they are a good person off the ice, and the league needs to see that they are exceptional away from the rink. In saying that, their on-ice abilities don’t solely determine it. Some may be asking, what exactly is “exceptional status”? Well, it’s when a player has exceptional skills and talent but they are underage, so the league considers the player to see if they deserve the honor. Tavares first came into the spotlight when he was the first player in the history of the OHL to be granted exceptional status to enter the league at the age of 14. For those of you who may not know everything there is to know about Tavares, sit back and let me give you an overview of him and his journey to 1000 NHL games. Even if you are a casual hockey fan, I would be willing to bet you have heard the name John Tavares hundreds, if not thousands, of times over the past 10-15 years.
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