Leafs player reveals damning details of Mitch Marner dressing room fallout

Mitch Marner is now a member of the Golden Knights and some fans are still ajusting to the news. What should feel like a fresh start might now feel more like a messy breakup as many fans, especially more after the report shared by insider Elliotte Friedman on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

In his introductory press conference last week, Marner revealed how his interest in Vegas began well before free agency. Citing his conversations with Mark Stone and Adin Hill during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Marner spoke openly about his early attraction to the Golden Knights’ culture, both on and off the ice.

As we remember around the March 7 deadline, Marner vetoed multiple trades while holding out for a perfect scenario in Vegas and Friedman shared how one of his teammates in Toronto found the whole ordeal very distracting in the Maple Leafs’ dressing room.

“ I think it just became too much of a distraction, I had a player tell me…when the trade deadline was done…the report came out about the trade with Carolina…players said “Is this ever going to end?”

Marner’s behaviour and all the rumour surrounding him had to be tough on his teammates, with the star winger already looking beyond Toronto while chasing a Stanley Cup. I can’t imagine what the disconnect did to the chemistry…

We do not know which teammates shared those details with Friedman, but it feels like he wasn’t the only one feeling the distraction.

After all this, I’m not sure we can expect a warm ovation when Marner returns to Scotiabank Arena. You have to wonder after this latest report by Friedman if some of his old teammates will be out for revenge as well when they face off on the ice.