Mitch Marner's awkward and possibly inappropriate postgame gesture caught on camera in Vegas
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mitch Marner was caught on camera giving a non-player a playful tap below the belt after a Golden Knights game, and fans are debating where the line is.
Mitch Marner is at the center of a very awkward clip.
Broadcast footage caught the Vegas winger giving someone who didn't appear to be a player a playful tap below the belt as he came off the ice after a Golden Knights game. The post is making the rounds on X.
Marner was wearing gloves, and the move looked like a friendly hello.
That kind of horseplay is common in hockey locker rooms between teammates who know each other well.
The problem is the person on the receiving end.
This wasn't a teammate with built-in rapport, and the person never saw it coming or seemed to lighten up afterward.
Why it wouldn't fly at most workplaces
Think about your own job. Most people wouldn't dream of doing this to a coworker, and even a close colleague could earn a call from human resources.
An NHL rink is still a workplace for everyone employed there, and the same basic rules apply.
It's a bit like clapping your boss on the back at the office party.
You meant it as friendly, but everyone watching winces.
What happens next for Marner
Nothing suggests the Golden Knights plan any discipline, and the person involved hasn't commented publicly.
Still, most organizations would want a quiet word about anything caught on a broadcast.
Coach Ryan Craig and general manager Kelly McCrimmon would much rather talk about production anyway.
Marner is 29, carries a $12 million cap hit and has seven points through eight games for a 6-2-0 Vegas team.
The last thing anyone needs is an off-ice distraction.
Vegas hosts the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
A quick apology would probably settle it.
If nobody addresses it, the clip will keep circulating long after anyone remembers the score.
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