Toronto Maple Leafs fans have wasted little time expressing their disdain over Mitch Marner. They've burnt jerseys, called him all sorts of names on social media, and have harassed him about leaving town. It's been an unfair attack on a superstar looking to write his legacy elsewhere.
Of course, there have been rational people who haven't jumped on him too much. For one, Steve Dangle highlighted an "era wasted" when referring to Marner's tenure, similar to what happened with Phil Kessel. An era of mismanagement and incompetence left the Maple Leafs at the doorstep of the Eastern Conference Final, at best.
However, that hasn't stopped other Maple Leafs fans from bashing him at every turn. It's no wonder he packed his bags and went to Las Vegas. Sometimes, the media (and fan) pressure can be unfair to the point of having a mental breakdown.
Mark your calendars because January 23rd will be absolute cinema for hockey fans. It'll mark a wave of various boo birds and anger pouring from Scotiabank Arena, where fans hungry for a Stanley Cup will disapprove of the man chosen to lead them to the promised land.
Vegas Golden Knights fans don't care about the haters
Marner isn't the first Golden Knight to deal with an array of haters. Take your pick from the various names.
It could be the fans that hate Mark Stone for merely lacerating his spleen.
It could be people hating the Golden Knights for "being handed a Stanley Cup-contending team from Day One."
It could be fans of players who left their favorite teams to play in Las Vegas.
That's not even scratching the surface for the hater-dom, though. Many hockey fans pray for Vegas's downfall similar to how Las Vegas prays for rain regularly. They want it to happen, only for it to be impossible to come by.
That's what makes Marner an ideal fit as a Golden Knight. He's used to the hate and is more motivated than ever. The former "Core Four" member wants to prove the skeptics and critics wrong at every juncture, leaving their jaws slacking on the floor.
The moral of the story? Prove the haters wrong. Give it your all every day and do whatever it takes to win. That might rub some people the wrong way, whether they're from the Bay Area or Edmonton. But that's how good teams live on, my friend.