• In London’s 2009 playoff run, Tavares finished tied for ninth in the Ontario Hockey League with 21 points (10-11-21), including six power play goals in 14 games. London lost to the Windsor Spitfires, the eventual OHL Champions.

• In his fourth season in the OHL, Tavares led the league in goals with 58 in 56 games (58-46-104) in 2008-09, including 50 points (32-18-50) in 24 games after being traded to the London Knights.

• He set a new OHL goal-scoring record, surpassing Peter Lee’s 33-year-old record with his 214th goal on Mar. 8, 2009, finishing with a total of 215 career goals (215-218-433) in 247 games.

• On the world stage, he won back-to-back gold medals with Team Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships. With a more prominent role in 2009, he scored eight goals (8-7-15) to bring his World Junior goal total to 12 (12-8-20) -- tying Eric Lindros and Jeff Carter for most goals in a career by a Canadian at the World Junior Championships.

• He was named the 2007 CHL Player of the Year after breaking the OHL record for goals in a season by a 16-year-old with 72 (previously held by Wayne Gretzky). He made his OHL debut the season prior as a 15-year-old, after receiving ‘exceptional player’ status and was tabbed the CHL Rookie of the Year in 2006.

• At the age of three, he began skating with his dad and his first hockey team was the Oakville Racers. He credits his parents for having had the most influence on his career – “my dad taught me how to play and my mom drove me everywhere so I could play”.

• Tavares played lacrosse growing up as his uncle, also named John Tavares, is the all-time scoring leader of the National Lacrosse League. He was once a ball boy for his uncle’s NLL Buffalo Bandits.

• His childhood hockey idols were Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman because he watched them win Stanley Cups as well as gold medals with Canada.

• He would pick Edmonton Oilers forward and childhood friend Sam Gagner to play him in a movie about his life and if he could have dinner with anyone he would choose Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan because “they strive to be the best and aren’t satisfied until they succeed” as well as NFL quarterback Tom Brady because “he is an all-around stud and I can learn a lot from him”.

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