Mitch Marner breaks his silence ahead of return to Toronto with the Golden Knights
Photo credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Mitch Marner walks into Scotiabank Arena Friday as a Vegas Golden Knight, and the Toronto Maple Leafs crowd is ready to decide his night.
This is not a normal 'welcome back' game, not with the way the summer ended and the way the noise followed him out the door.
Toronto comes in at 24-17-9, still hunting points in a tight Atlantic picture.
Vegas sits 24-13-12, and Marner has already become a driver for them with 12-40-52.
In the clip making the rounds, Marner says it'll be 'really fun' to go back and play that game, even if it feels odd.
'Walking into that arena again, going on the other side of things, will be a little odd. But you know, regardless - whatever happens, we're going to have a lot of family, loved ones around, friends. It's going to be really fun to kind of go back there and play that game, and then afterwards, see buddies.'
Sportsnet posted the video here:
The last time these teams saw each other, Toronto fans in Vegas still found their voice, and it was not exactly friendly.
Marner quietly did damage anyway, picking up 0-2-2 in that 6-5 overtime Vegas win.
Mitch Marner and Toronto Maple Leafs tension hits ice
Leafs fans are split right now, some want closure, some want payback, and plenty will just be nervous about how loud it gets.
The off-ice stuff matters here too, because Marner has talked openly about safety fears and needing security at home after his address was shared online.
That's part of why the tone feels heavier than a simple 'former star returns', even for a market that lives on emotion.
The transaction piece is clean on paper: Vegas got the winger on an eight-year, $96 million deal with a $12 million cap hit, and Toronto brought in Nicolas Roy.
On the ice, Craig Berube can keep it simple and hard, get bodies in lanes, finish checks on the blue line, and make Marner fight for the middle.
Toronto also has to manage the moment, because chasing a 'statement' can turn into penalties and free looks on the man advantage.
Joseph Woll even said he hopes the building shows Marner some respect, which tells you the room knows what's coming.
The first touch for Marner, the first power-play shift, and the first rush chance will set the temperature, then it's just hockey and a scoreboard that won't care about feelings.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 23|210 ANSWERS Mitch Marner breaks his silence ahead of return to Toronto with the Golden Knights Should Toronto Maple Leafs fans give Mitch Marner a warm welcome? | ||
| Yes | 148 | 70.5 % |
| No | 62 | 29.5 % |
| List of polls | ||