UNBELIEVABLE SPANCH: John Tavares promise to Toronto with contract extension he will be ending his career with Toronto Maple Leafs as they Left some money out there for him. Craig Berube vowed to make him as

John Tavares isn’t going anywhere.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed their veteran center to a four-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of \$4.38 million.

“Thrilled to share I’m staying for four more years!” Tavares announced on Instagram. “My family and I are so excited to keep building our lives here in Toronto. The best is yet to come!”

Now 34, the Mississauga native made headlines in 2018 when he returned home to sign a seven-year, \$77 million deal with the Leafs after spending nine seasons with the New York Islanders, who selected him first overall in the 2009 NHL Draft.

“I definitely left some money on the table,” Tavares admitted during a media call Friday. “But I’ve been fortunate financially, and I still am. What matters most is that I get to play for a great organization in my hometown, with a team that has a real shot at winning. There’s a lot of belief in this group.”

Since Tavares joined the team, Toronto has consistently ranked among the NHL’s most potent squads—but the club’s 57-year Stanley Cup drought still looms.

“It only gets tougher,” Tavares said about the team’s postseason struggles. “My time is limited. I believe in myself more than ever, but I know I’m in the latter stages of my career. The chances to win it all don’t come as often now. Each missed opportunity stings a little more.”