Mitch Marner set to face Maple Leafs for first time since bolting for Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (93) warms up before a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Las Vegas on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/David Becker)

LAS VEGAS — Mitch Marner says he hasn’t given much thought to the reunion.

The Vegas Golden Knights winger was focused on putting one foot in front of the other as he navigated a new team, city and country.

The calendar has also finally flipped to a day many others circled back in June.

Vegas hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight in Marner’s first game against the team he cheered for as a kid, starred with for almost a decade, and then bolted for Sin City.

“I don’t think I’ve got to look at it any different,” the 28-year-old told reporters last night following a 3-2 road victory in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings when asked about facing his former club. “Just look at it as another hockey game and just try and go out there and do my thing.”

Selected with the No. 4 overall pick at the 2015 NHL draft, Marner registered 102 points in 2024-25 with Toronto and hit 90 on three other occasions.

He finished with 741 points (221 goals, 520 assists) in 657 regular-season games, but was a lightning rod of criticism for playoff failures on a roster with offensive talent that also included Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares.

“He was there a long time,” Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters in L.A. “There’s always turnover every year, but I’m sure he has real close friendships with a lot of those guys. That can be hard.”

Marner’s slow march out the door — he had a full no-movement clause in his previous contract — as unrestricted free agency loomed finally ended when the Maple Leafs shipped him to the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal that netted him an eight-year, US$96-million extension.

Depth forward Nicolas Roy came the other way in a swap that allowed Marner to get an eighth campaign on his new pact instead of the seven-season max as a UFA.

Poised to also suit up for his first game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs on Jan. 23, Marner had 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points in 45 games entering Thursday.

“We’ll use him like we usually do and hopefully get him a few extra shifts here and there,” Cassidy added of a player set to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics next month. “I’m sure he’s going to be highly motivated. But sometimes it goes the other way … you want to do too much. Hopefully he just goes out and plays his game.”

Vegas (22-11-12) enters on a five-game winning streak following five straight losses. Toronto (23-16-7) saw its 8-0-2 run snapped Tuesday in a 6-1 road loss to the Utah Mammoth.

“Mitchy’s obviously very crafty,” Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe told reporters in Salt Lake City after that defeat. “I’ve switched teams and you play buddies. It’s always a little bit different the first night, but looking forward to it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026.