John Tavares to return to Oshawa next season

John Tavares has 53 points in 23 games with the Generals this season.

John Tavares will return to the Oshawa Generals for a fourth season.

Siskinds Sports Management director Bryan Deasley said they are no longer pursuing an exemption for the 2008 NHL draft.

"It's a dead issue," Deasley told the London Free Press. "We're no longer talking to anybody about it. The parties that want to talk about it are members of the (media)."

Tavares was born Sept. 20, 1990 and falls five days short of being eligible for the '08 draft. Deasley said that is an issue his firm is addressing with the NHLPA.

"We're talking...about it because we believe the Sept. 15 cutoff is antiquated and doesn't fit in with the present-day player," he said.

Tavares was drafted into the OHL a year early when granted exceptional player status by the league in 2005.