When Mitch Marner touched the puck for the first time on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he received a chorus of boos from the visiting fans. The booing didn’t let up and instead continued until his last puck touch in overtime.
“[Maple Leafs fans] travel well,” said Marner postgame. “They always have. They’ve got a passionate fanbase.”
If anyone would know that, it’s Marner. He witnessed ‘The Passion™’ firsthand during his nine-year tenure as a Maple Leaf. And he really felt ‘The Passion™’ last May, when his Maple Leafs career ended with a 6-1 shellacking in Game 7 at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. The Leafs Faithful booed him every time he touched the puck, then, too.
The Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Maple Leafs on Thursday, and Marner faced his former team for the first time. He expected the booing in Toronto. What he didn’t expect was the warm welcome from the traveling fans in his own barn.
“I think the great question is, you know, what my expectations were,” said Marner. “Now, I think I know. But, like I said, they’ve got a passionate fanbase. I got a lot of love for their team.”
Despite trailing by two goals on four separate occasions, the Golden Knights rallied for a 6-5 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs on Thursday. Marner himself enjoyed a two-point night.
“They knew this one meant a little more to me,” said Marner postgame. “I’m grateful to get the win. A lot of guys put in the effort– you know, it’s a team game out there.
“I think once the puck dropped, it just felt like another hockey game out there,” continued Marner. “Obviously, I know a lot of those guys very well… It’s a competitive game. You want to always try to beat your buddies.”
Marner’s enthusiasm wasn’t lost on his teammates. In fact, it was contagious.
“We know how much it means to him,” said Jack Eichel postgame. “And because of how much it means to him, it means that much to us as well. I’ve been in similar situations where you’re playing your old team, and you want to have a good showing and win the game. You could tell he had jump right from the start.
“We love Mitch,” finished Eichel. “We’re so happy to have him here. He’s an unbelievable teammate and such a big part of our team. I know how much it meant to him, so it means that much to us.”
“It’s nice to beat your old team,” said Tomáš Hertl.
