Mitch Marner opens up about the carjacking’s impact on his mental health

You might remember back in May, just after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the postseason, how forward Mitch Marner and his fiancée Stephanie LaChance were car-jacked in the west end of Toronto by three suspects carrying two handguns and a knife. Wearing masks, the suspects demanded the keys to his Range Rover and left the couple stranded and shocked.

On Thursday night, Marner hosted his annual Marner Assist Fund charity event and took the opportunity to open up about the incident and how it impacted his mental health.

“It was surreal,” Marner said Thursday, per the Toronto Star. “I don’t think the fear hits you until after. The adrenalin rush is going through you so hard that, at that moment, you were just willing to do whatever the person asked for. They wanted the car keys. And that was something I was willing to give up with what was happening in that moment and what was pointed at me.

“So in that moment, (it was about) giving the car keys, getting away from the vehicle and trying to find the closest person to call 911 and try and fix the conflict.”

He even admitted to having flashbacks when getting back into a car and reflected on the incident.

“It was definitely a crazy day,” he said. “Luckily enough, we weren’t hurt. Me and my fiancée (Stephanie LaChance) were perfectly OK coming out of it. So that’s all that really matters in the end. But it definitely does affect you mentally. It does come into your mind for a couple of weeks … just kind of hitting you when you’re back driving a car.”

The fact that Marner is opening up about the incident is encouraging, meaning that he can get help and support when dealing with the flashbacks of the incident.

In the end, Marner and LaChance were not hurt in the incident, and the forward is moving forward by sharing his experience with the world and working on the impacts of the incident.

Good on you, Mitch!