Former Leaf Mitch Marner receives a chorus of boos in his return to Toronto with Golden Knights

Mitch Marner played 9 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was one of the team’s most valuable players throughout his tenure. While Marner was a high-scoring forward who often teamed with Auston Matthews to form a powerful 1-2 punch during the regular seasons, neither he nor the team had success in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Mitch Marner takes the ice in Toronto and the boos are out
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— SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) January 23, 2026

When his contract was expiring at the conclusion of last season, the Leafs traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Marner signed a multi-year contract with his new team. Marner made his first return to the ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto Friday night to play in his former home arena.

Leafs offer thankful video for Marner

Marner was greeted by a rousing chorus of boos as he took the ice for warmups, and those boos grew much louder when he took his early shifts on the ice in the first period and when he had the puck on his stick. However, those same fans changed their tune when the Maple Leafs showed a tribute video at the first commercial break during the game. The video featured several of Marner’s goals with the Maple Leafs and some off-the-ice moments with his teammates.

Leafs fans gave Marner a round of applause during the video, but it seemed more polite than heartfelt. There was recognition of his effort during his 9 years with the team, but the fans seemed to remember that the Leafs had won just 2 first-round series and had never gotten past the second round.

The Golden Knights were able to score two early first-period goals and took a quick 2-0 lead in the game. Jack Eichel scored the opening goal for Vegas at the 1:06 mark, while Keegan Kolesar added to the lead when he potted a rebound at the 4:31 mark. Marner did not assist on either goal.

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