TORONTO — The boos were loud, but so was the applause. Mitch Marner returned to Scotiabank Arena on Friday night for the first time since leaving the Maple Leafs, and the Vegas Golden Knights made sure it was a memorable night for their star winger with a 6-3 victory.
Marner, who signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Vegas over the summer via sign-and-trade, was the target of a mixed reception from Toronto fans. He was booed every time he touched the puck, but also received a standing ovation during a tribute video at the first TV timeout.
“The fans were great,” Knights captain Mark Stone said. “They gave him a great ovation I firmly believed he deserved.”
Marner finished with one shot in 17:25 of ice time and helped set up Vegas’ third goal. He admitted the emotions were tough to handle.
“It was a little odd at first, to be honest, walking on the other side,” Marner said. “They’re a passionate fan base and they love their team.”
The Knights jumped out to a quick lead, with Jack Eichel scoring on a rebound at 1:06 of the first period and Keegan Kolesar making it 2-0 at 4:31. Toronto’s John Tavares cut the lead to 2-1 just 13 seconds into the second period, but Pavel Dorofeyev and Braeden Bowman scored 1:44 apart to restore a three-goal cushion.
Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann pulled the Maple Leafs within one, but Stone scored with 4:49 left in regulation and added an empty-netter to seal the win. Stone extended his franchise-record point streak to 14 games with two goals and an assist, while Eichel stretched his streak to 11 games with a goal.
Adin Hill made 18 saves for Vegas (25-13-12), which bounced back from a 4-3 loss in Boston on Thursday.
Marner was named an alternate captain and started the game. Before warmups, Kolesar snatched a fan’s jersey with Marner’s old number 16 and “SELLOUT” on the nameplate. The atmosphere was hostile but not as intense as when Jack Eichel returned to Buffalo or John Tavares faced the Islanders after signing with Toronto.
“We’ve been through it a few times with returns,” Stone said. “If you ask me, we’re kind of used to it. We knew what to expect, whether it was going to be good or bad.”
Marner was the last player off the ice after the final buzzer, throwing a stick to a fan before hugging his teammates. Asked if he was relieved it was over, he replied, “Yeah. Honestly. I’m glad I don’t have to talk about it anymore.”
