You know they're coming. They'll hit like a semi-truck when January 23 rolls around and Mitch Marner hits the ice. It'll generate thousands of YouTube views and be the trending story on networks like TSN and SportsNet.
I'm talking about when the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking Mitch Marner's first game back at Scotiabank Arena. If you don't remember the anime lore, it goes a little something like this.
The Maple Leafs and Marner's camp don't negotiate a new contract. This was initiated by the star winger's group, leading him closer to free agency. But that didn't deter Toronto from trying to get him back.
And, boy, did they ever try! They begged and offered him lucrative deals that would've kept him in his home region for life. What a legacy the superstar would've left in Canada's biggest city! Surely, he would budge on this, right?
Nope.
Kelly McCrimmon caught wind of this and tried trading for him. Nothing materialized the first time. One deal would've sent Mikko Rantanen to the Maple Leafs and Marner to the Hurricanes, shaking up the NHL landscape. That didn't work. Good news for McCrimmon.
Then, Marner says he hasn't given "much thought to his hockey future" on May 20. Uh oh, something is up.
That's when McCrimmon finally got his deal done, sending Nicolas Roy to Toronto for the elite winger on June 30. After that, he gets an eight-year deal worth $12 million AAV and gives Jack Eichel his star winger that he's been seeking for years. Life is complete.
One gripe I have about Mitch Marner and the Golden Knights visiting the Maple Leafs on January 23
This game should have had ABC or TNT written all over it. When you have an incredible talent return to his old stomping grounds after a turbulent exit, it deserves some airtime for the masses. That's especially true when that player was from a legendary franchise known as the Maple Leafs.
Instead, it falls on a... Friday.
This is a crime in the highest regard, not just for Golden Knights fans, but for Maple Leafs fans. Toronto has one of the most passionate fan bases in the NHL and is a consistent draw wherever fans go. Not giving them a television slot here is some criminal activity.
Who knows? Maybe that happens with a SportsNet game. Maybe all of Canada will see Marner return and have boos and beer bottles chucked at him in Toronto (okay, maybe not the beer bottles). Whatever the case, American audiences deserve to see this return in the fullest, too.
Still, the matchup itself is noteworthy without Marner's presence. You have an All-Star battle between Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews, making for compelling television. It's also an "Original Six" team against the new kids on the block. "Original Six" lore always sells well, specifically against a successful expansion franchise story like the Golden Knights.
Regardless of what happens, January 23, 2026, will be a day to remember for all hockey fans. It'll mark a day when all emotions will flow. For some, it'll be a day of joy and a new beginning. For others, it'll be a day of bitter resentment and anger that'll add to the anime lore.
Don't blink, Marner. They won't even miss you at all.