Mitch Marner recently sat down with TSN’s Mark Masters to discuss leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs organization this past summer to join the Vegas Golden Knights. The interview covered a lot of ground and quickly caught fire on social media, with some fans saying he was exaggerating while others argued he didn’t deserve what had happened to him.
The interview took place at the Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp for Team Canada, where Marner had been invited. At times, you could see him choked up when reflecting on his time with the Maple Leafs and the difficulty of making the decision to leave.
Marner Opens Up About Leaving
Over the last decade, the Maple Leafs were led by Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. All five were central to both the team’s success and its shortcomings. No one knows that better than Marner, who often became the face of the criticism. He spoke candidly about that, saying:
“For all the negative comments out there, you know there’s so many love comments. The problem is that the love comments don’t come out as much as the hatred ones, and that’s just the way life goes, and that’s the way social media has turned into in a way.”
Marner also acknowledged that he, Matthews, Nylander and Rielly all shared the same journey and “grew together.” He said the hardest part was telling Matthews about his decision.
“The phone call to Auston [Matthews], that was a tough one. He had to get back to Arizona pretty quickly after the season. I was going to try to get a sit down with him before, but it just didn’t pan out with everything happening. That phone call to him was pretty tough. It was pretty emotional. Obviously, we came in together, we did a lot of things together.”
Matthews and Marner will always be remembered as one of the greatest one-two punches in Maple Leafs history. But as Marner admitted, all great things eventually come to an end.
He also reflected on Rielly and Nylander.
“We really came in together and grew together and really leaned on each other for a lot of things,” Marner said. “The market was tough to all of us at times, and we needed to lean on each other. It was tough calling those guys and letting them know what was going to happen. Just the reaction out of both sides was, you know, it sucked, but that’s the way this sport goes sometimes.”
Marner Was Ready for the “Next Chapter”
After the Maple Leafs lost Game 7 to the Florida Panthers in the 2025 NHL Playoffs, cameras caught Marner with his head down on the bench. In that moment, he and the fans might not have fully realized it, but it was over. How could he return to a team and market that was going to pin the loss on him? For a while he thought he might. But then came a phone call at home that changed everything.
Marner explained that his father-in-law told him his address had been leaked online. Fans were circulating it and making threatening comments.
“[He] goes, ‘I just want to let you know, we’ve got people sending us screenshots of a guy posting your address online saying that if people want to come pay us a visit and say, you know, their goodbyes, in a quotation way, here’s the address.’ And it was a little tough, obviously. I mean, we kind of dealt with it for the last two years in a way. The market’s very passionate. They love the team. I mean, I know it. I was born and raised there. I’ve been a part of Leafs Nation for a long time. But, yeah, when your family’s safety comes into question, especially having a new son, I don’t think it’s acceptable.”
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That led Marner and his wife to hire full-time security for their home, but it ultimately pushed him toward leaving the Maple Leafs. He called it a bittersweet decision.
“We just decided it was time for a new chapter,” Marner said. “We loved being in Toronto full time and being close to family and friends, but we just thought it was time for a new chapter in life, and having Miles, our son, we wanted to look at other options and see what was out there. We found one we really liked.”
Marner made a point to say he knows how passionate Leafs Nation is because he grew up in it. He was a fan himself, so he understands the passion. But he also noted how a small group of fans can cross the line and drive players out of markets. Sadly, he said, he probably should have been a Maple Leaf for life. He was born here, drafted here, and became one of the best to ever wear the jersey. Now, he’s preparing for the 2025-26 season with Vegas.
Marner reflected on fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for Toronto.
“I’m forever grateful to be a Maple Leaf and wear that crest on my chest for nine years,” he said. “I mean, I tried to give everything I had for those nine years and, you know, it sucks that we weren’t able to get it done.
“We had so many good teams that just fell short in moments that hurt. The pain that the Leafs Nation felt, we feel it as well. I mean, we were the ones living it in the moment. We were the ones that want to bring that [Stanley Cup] back and it didn’t happen. It was unfortunate, but I’m forever grateful to wear a Maple Leaf. The fans have shown incredible support and love to me in my nine years and, you know, something I’ll never forget.”
Marner will be back in Toronto on Jan. 23 for the first time as a Golden Knight, though not for long, as the team plays in Boston the night before. Still, that game will be circled on just about every Leafs fan’s calendar.
