Tavares just calmly skates back to the bench with the expression of a man thinking about supper after the game. That unshakeable calm drives opponents nuts. Because they know they’re in his pocket. During Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators, Ottawa’s young stars engaged – and they watched from the penalty box as the Maple Leafs scored on three of their six power play opportunities. Even Senators’ coach Travis Green complained about the Maple Leafs’ embellishment. But that’s just it—Tavares doesn’t need to embellish. Now, the Senators are tasked with throwing off a player (and perhaps a team) who simply isn’t taking the bait. How Did Tavares Achieve This Elite Skill – Quietness? You wonder where Tavares learned to be so quiet in the face of chaos. Maybe it started when he returned to New York for the first time after signing with the Maple Leafs — a night that could’ve unravelled most players. The boos, chants, rubber snakes, and full-on hate parade had to hurt. But it didn’t rattle him so that fans could see. He didn’t bite. He didn’t blink. He just played. There’s a quality to him that makes him different from almost anyone else on the ice. He stands out (or doesn’t, which is the point) because he’s unlike the chaos surrounding him. He doesn’t need noise to make a statement. Still, Tavares doesn’t shy away from the scrums or the dirty areas of the ice. He plants himself in front of the net where bodies fly, sticks get lifted, and pucks hurt. He takes the hits and absorbs them. He never gives back what opponents are hoping for. At 34, with over a decade of NHL wars behind him, it’s clear he’s learned that silence is not a lack of fight — it’s control. There’s something elite about Tavares as a player, but there’s also something elite about the person: the one who keeps things to himself, carries the weight, and never lets it show.