John Tavares has stepped away from the Toronto Maple Leafs for personal reasons and will not participate in the team's practice on Friday.
The unexpected absence was reported by Leafs insider David Alter, who confirmed that the veteran forward is currently away from the team.
At this point, the circumstances surrounding Tavares' absence remain unclear, and there is no indication of how long he could be away.
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller is expected to address the situation following Friday's practice and provide an update on Tavares' status.
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Tavares misses practice for an incredibly important reason
Tavares remains an important piece of the Maple Leafs' forward group, and his absence would leave a noticeable hole in the lineup if he is unavailable for the team's next game.
It seems like now we have our answer as to why Tavares was missing practice and it is no doubt a heartwarming one as the Tavares family announced the arrival of their new baby, Tucker:
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Tavares will not be available either for Toronto's game against the Colorado Avalanche as he is going to be with his family. If it weren't already a full house, the Tavares family will at least have an extra helping hand around with Gavin McKenna living with them.
We'll provide more details as soon as new information becomes available.
Do you believe John Tavares is going through something serious?
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