Maple Leafs’ fans harass Mitch Marner amid contract negotiations

In Toronto, the attention is all on pending free agent Mitch Marner and his future with the Maple Leafs. The growing feeling is that the star forward will test free agency on July 1 for a much needed fresh start elsewhere. It was reported on Wednesday that Marner was approached with a significant offer during the season despite the forward not wanting to engage in negotiations during the campaign. They wanted Marner to stay and could have offered him an eight-year deal, that would have marked the largest contract in franchise history, but Marner declined.

Insiders and pundits keep digging for signs that Marner could remain with the team, though what Chris Johnston recently revealed isn’t helping the case for it.

And it sounds like some fans aren’t helping. Johnston spoke about Marner dealing with incidents over the years that “bordered on harassment” by fans. And could blame him for wanting to step away from all of that? This is what the insider reported on his podcast, via Leafs’ Latest:

“Johnston spoke about some of the off-ice challenges Mitch Marner has faced during his time in Toronto—specifically with the fanbase. Johnston said that Marner has dealt with a few incidents over the years that “bordered on harassment” and made him and those close to him feel very uncomfortable. He emphasized that there are likely more incidents that haven’t been made public.

“Johnston pointed to Marner’s 2019 contract negotiation as a key turning point. The deal extended into training camp, and Marner was briefly without a contract. During that time, fans began turning on him. Marner later shared that he was yelled at while walking his dog. People also began discussing his father’s role in the negotiations, something Marner didn’t appreciate.

“Johnston added that following the team’s latest game, another incident occurred involving Marner, though he didn’t go into detail out of respect, saying he didn’t want to give it more attention. He also noted that some fans have taken things too far over the years, making it a difficult situation.

Marner has been dealt a whole lot of pressure in a Leafs’ uniform over the years, especially when they fall early in the postseason. He might be fed up over it and want to play elsewhere.

I feel more and more that Marner will be in another uniform next season.