Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares reached a historic career milestone on Wednesday night.
Tavares scored his 500th NHL goal during the Maple Leafs’ 6–3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The goal came late in the third period with Toronto already down 6–1.
Advertisement
It made Tavares just the 49th player in league history to reach 500 career goals, joining Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Steven Stamkos as the only active players in that group.
Tavares has six goals and eight assists for 14 points through 11 games this season. Since joining the Maple Leafs in 2018, he has scored 228 goals in 526 games.
After the game, Tavares acknowledged the milestone but was more concerned about the team’s defeat and the Leafs’ early-season struggles.
Advertisement
“It’s really hard to comment on it right now. I understand the question,” Tavares said. “But you play this game to win as a team. It’s all about the team, and you’d like to have it make more of an impact in the game. For sure in the moments ahead and the days ahead, I’ll appreciate it more.”
The loss extended Toronto’s inconsistent start to the season. The Maple Leafs, now 5–5–1, have dropped four of their last six and continue to struggle defensively, allowing at least three goals in each of those six games.
Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) during a stoppage in play.Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle and forwards Mathieu Olivier and Cole Sillinger each had multipoint games, while Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro scored one goal each.
Advertisement
Toronto outshot Columbus 35–25 but failed to generate consistent scoring chances until late in the game when the matchup was mostly over.
Despite the defeat, Tavares’ 500th goal solidified his place among the NHL’s most accomplished scorers and in Maple Leafs history. The former captain joined Mats Sundin (564) as the only players in history to score their 500th tally while playing for the Leafs.
Toronto visits the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.
Advertisement
Related: NHL Reportedly Makes Sidney Crosby Punishment Decision After Penguins-Flyers Game
Related: Maple Leafs Announce Joseph Woll Injury Update on Monday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.