Friday night, for the first time since his acrimonious exit from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mitch Marner will make his way back to Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Leafs last week in what served up a tense but thrilling OT win for Marner’s new team. And even though the game was in Sin City, the boos were more than audible as Marner took the ice. When he does the same at Scotiabank Arena, all signs point towards a hostile welcome for Toronto’s former talisman.
Jack Eichel Makes Feelings Clear on Maple Leafs Fans’ Behaviour Towards Mitch Marner
Speaking to reporters ahead of their much-awaited matchup on Friday night, Golden Knights star Jack Eichel was asked for his two cents on Marner’s return to Toronto. Eichel, ever the acute observer, had more than a few things to say.
“Nobody loves getting a rude welcome back… At the end of the day, we’re here for him… Mitch is a pretty easy-going guy. I thought he handled the first game with ease. This will be a little more difficult going back to Toronto,” Eichel noted. “We’ll try to play as hard as we can to make it a better experience for him.”
Jack Eichel on Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto:
“I’m sure if you asked every guy in that locker room (Toronto’s) they have the best things to say about him. Fans always have their opinions, whether it’s good or bad… it’s a decision he felt he needed to make… we’re happy to…
— Anna Dua (@AnnaNoelleDua) January 22, 2026
Eichel also made it a point to note that while fans in Toronto are entitled to their feelings, the move to Vegas was a decision Marner felt like he needed to make. “We’re happy to have him in Vegas,” Eichel added.
Marner, of course, was close to leaving Toronto on a couple of occasions. The Athletic reported that the Carolina Hurricanes came close to sending Mikko Rantanen to Toronto in a deal to bring Marner to town last season, though that deal was ultimately vetoed by Marner. He then agreed to waive his No-Movement Clause to facilitate a three-team deal between Toronto, Carolina, and Vegas to land in Sin City ahead of the deadline, but by then, the deal was dead in the water.
He eventually ended up moving to Vegas in a sign-and-trade, signing a $96 million deal to commit to the Golden Knights.
Since then, Marner has had more than a few things to say about how his last few years in Toronto spiralled into a borderline crisis.
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