Islanders' John Tavares to have jersey number retired by OHL's Oshawa Generals

New York Islanders captain John Tavares, who played his junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (he also played for the juggernaut London Knights), will join the likes of Bobby Orr, Eric Lindros and Red Tilson when the major junior club retires Tavares' No. 91 in late September.

"To be up there with the three other guys that are there… it’s hard to really believe it," Tavares said via Islanders.nhl.com. "It’s something I’ll be pinching myself about for a long time. I really appreciate that people believe that I am a part of such a great history like that."

Granted exceptional player status at the age of 14, Tavares spent parts of four seasons with the Generals and appeared in 223 games. The superstar forward and Canadian Olympian managed 183 goals in those 223 games and is the Generals' all-time leading goal scorer. He's also second all-time in total points. 

"My time in Oshawa really changed my life," said Tavares. "There’s a saying on the wall in the locker room, ‘Once a General, Always a General,’ and it really stays true especially with how much time I spent there, what the city meant to me and all of the people that impacted my life. I’ll be forever grateful for what that place has done for me and it certainly became home and is home to me."