Vegas Golden Knights proper winger Mitch Marner is seeing the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel after making his first look within the Stanley Cup Last.
After the Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in Sport 4 of the Western Convention Last on Tuesday night time, Marner was amped. He pumped his fist within the air and overestimated the Vegas crowd.
It was uncharacteristic for the usually reserved Marner, however he simply needed to let it out. It has been a troublesome street to his first look within the championship sequence.
Mitch Marner discusses his first Stanley Cup Last journey
“Particular second,” Marner stated of the celebration in a postgame information convention. “There’s been some darkish occasions in hockey for myself, actually. Grateful for my household. My brother, my mother and pa, and my spouse, and all my mates round me. That was a second simply to precise some pleasure and enjoyable there. I will get pleasure from it for the night time, then be able to go to work.”
These “darkish occasions” possible consult with Marner’s nine-year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. At first, it appeared like a dream come true for the ahead when his favourite childhood staff chosen him with decide No. 4 within the 2015 NHL Draft. But it surely turned a nightmare close to the top of his time with the staff.
The Maple Leafs — who have not gained a championship for the reason that 1966-67 season — made the playoffs every season Marner performed for the staff, however superior previous the primary spherical solely twice. He averaged 0.9 factors per recreation in 63 postseason contests for the Leafs after logging 1.13 in 657 regular-season matchups.
Followers pointed the finger at Marner for the postseason failures, and a few went too far. Marner stated his dwelling deal with in Toronto was leaked after the Maple Leafs misplaced to the Florida Panthers in seven video games within the second spherical of the playoffs in 2025, forcing him to rent personal safety for 2 weeks. His agent, Darren Ferris, added that the Leafs safety staff and native police helped take away threatening posts on-line and tracked down at the very least one supply of a demise menace.
Marner did not point out concern for his household’s security when Toronto traded him to Vegas in June 2025. He thanked the franchise in a message posted to social media.
Now, he can carry Vegas its second cup. The Knights will face the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens within the Stanley Cup Last. Earlier than Sport 4 on Wednesday night time, Carolina led the best-of-seven sequence 2-1. If Marner wins the cup with Vegas, he’ll expertise among the most joyous occasions in his profession, making the darkish ones a distant reminiscence.
