For the first time in his career, Mitch Marner will skate into Scotiabank Arena wearing enemy colors.
Now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights following a high-profile sign-and-trade this past summer, the Toronto native is set to face his hometown Maple Leafs on January 23, 2026. The reception promises to be anything but warm: after years as a franchise pillar, Marner now returns as a symbol of what might have been, destined to be met by a chorus of jeers from the very fan base that once adored him.
After nearly a decade with the only franchise he had ever known, Marner now stands at the threshold of a new chapter in his career. The emotions will be inevitable—nerves, anticipation, perhaps even nostalgia—but Marner understands the unforgiving nature of professional hockey. When the puck drops, sentimentality vanishes; no opponent will ease up out of deference to his homecoming. He knows as much, and the burden falls squarely on him to master those emotions and meet the moment.
“I know it will be weird walking into the visitors' side for once,” Marner said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Tuesday. “So, yeah, we’ll see how it goes. I mean, when that moment comes, we’ll take it head-on and see what happens.
“The good thing is that I know I’ll be going in there with a lot of guys on my side and 22 guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to win a hockey game. And I know there will be a lot of loved ones in the fans as well in the arena."
Mitch Marner simply outgrew the Maple Leafs as he joins the Golden Knights
Marner raises an important point: he is hardly the only player to outgrow the franchise that drafted him. Take Jack Eichel, for instance. He was originally selected by the Buffalo Sabers and spent the first six seasons of his career there before joining the Golden Knights for the 2021-22 and he has remained with the organization ever since. While Marner’s circumstances are distinct—Toronto being both his birthplace and the team that nurtured his development—their stories converge on a larger truth: professional athletes are often asked to be superhuman. And when that pressure is levied on you, it’s not easy.
For Marner, the separation was particularly fraught. He implied that he wished his time in Toronto had concluded on a different note. But as he acknowledged in recent interviews, it was not only a matter of professional trajectory but of personal safety. The decision to leave, though painful, was necessary.
“It is what it is,” Marner said to NHL.com. “I still have a lot of appreciation and love for a lot of people there.”
In nine seasons, Marner leaves the franchise as their fifth-leading scorer in history with 221 goals and 520 assists for 741 points. His hope for the fanbase, at least those who don’t harbor any resentment with him, is that they remember him for trying his hardest to bring Toronto their first world championship since 1967.
“Just a guy that tried, I guess, to help his hometown team accomplish great things,” Marner said. “I tried to wear that jersey with pride and honor every single time I could. Tried to give it everything I had. Unfortunately, we came up short."