Less than a year after being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, Mitch Marner will get the chance to do something he never came close to doing with the Toronto Maple Leafs: play in the Stanley Cup Final. As he reflected on his NHL journey, Marner voiced a stern admission—one that sent a shot at the Buds.
Growing up a Maple Leafs fan in Markham, becoming Toronto’s scapegoat for its playoff heartbreaks was something Marner may never be able to live down. However, he is finding closure in Las Vegas.
No one is a messiah in his own land, and it took Marner heading to Sin City to find his best self in the postseason. Just four wins away from his first Stanley Cup, Marner looked back on his career, and it did not take long for him to remember just how much he had been through with the Maple Leafs.
“It was a special moment. There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself,” Marner said, via NHL.com, after the Golden Knights swept the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. “We want to make each other better, and we just have so much trust in whoever is going over the boards. I’ve always believed in myself. I know the guys in this locker room believed in me as well.”
Mitch Marner of the Golden Knights.
Special handshake line for Marner
Having been on the losing end of emotional handshake lines several times—nine, to be precise—during his time in Hogtown, Marner finally experienced being on the opposite side of one. After the Golden Knights eliminated the Avalanche in four games, Marner came across familiar faces. However, none as special as Nazem Kadri, and their interaction reflected just how much both had been through, as well as the mutual respect born from living through similar situations in Toronto.
Both Ontario kids when the Maple Leafs drafted them in the top 10 of NHL Drafts, both experienced heartbreaking eliminations, and both were essentially driven out after becoming fall guys for the organization’s systematic shortcomings. Moreover, both Marner and Kadri found success shortly after changing addresses in the NHL. Kadri went on to win the Cup in 2022, and Marner is now four wins away from hoisting Lord Stanley as well.
Kadri and Marner played together for three seasons in The Six. As they met at center ice, emotions came flooding in for both. The two embraced in a long hug, extending the typical duration of this hockey ritual. They exchanged a few words—only they know what was said—and then went their separate ways.
Next up: Stanley Cup Final
For Marner, his next stop is the Stanley Cup Final. For a very long time, he imagined his first shot at hockey’s ultimate prize would come in Toronto. However, life is full of surprises, and it was not until he arrived in Las Vegas that Marner hit the jackpot.
For the Maple Leafs, all they can hope for is for the Carolina Hurricanes to defeat the Montreal Canadiens. Otherwise, cheering for Marner in a different sweater just to avoid watching the Habs conquer Lord Stanley may not sit right with them.
