Mitch Marner takes personal leave from Golden Knights

Mitch Marner will be unavailable for the Vegas Golden Knights' game against the St. Louis Blues tonight, but the reason for his absence is a happy one. The star forward is stepping away from the team as his wife, Stephanie Marner, is in labor with the couple's second child. Marner is expected to rejoin the Golden Knights later this week.

It's an understandable absence for one of Vegas' biggest stars, and the organization will have to make do without him for at least one game as he focuses on his growing family. While losing a player of Marner's calibre is never ideal, particularly during the NHL's demanding regular season, this is one situation where hockey understandably takes a back seat.

Marner and Stephanie are already parents to their first child, and the arrival of their second marks another major milestone for the family. The Golden Knights will undoubtedly welcome their star forward back when he's ready, but for now, the focus is on the Marner family as they prepare to welcome their newest addition.

The timing comes during what has been an eventful stretch in Marner's career since leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs and joining Vegas in the summer of 2025. After nine seasons with his hometown team, the 29-year-old winger entered a new chapter with the Golden Knights, signing an eight-year, $96 million contract carrying an average annual value of $12 million.

So far, the move has worked out extremely well for both sides.

Marner recorded 80 points, including 24 goals and 56 assists, in 81 regular-season games during his first campaign in Vegas. While that represented a slight drop from the career-high 102 points he recorded with Toronto in 2024-25, his impact became even more apparent when the postseason arrived.

The former fourth-overall pick took his game to another level in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading the NHL with 29 points in 22 games. He helped the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their championship run in 2023, although Vegas ultimately fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

That playoff performance was particularly significant for Marner, who endured years of criticism in Toronto over his inability to help the Maple Leafs get past the second round. His first season in Vegas offered a reminder of just how dangerous he can be when surrounded by the right supporting cast.

Now entering his second season with the Golden Knights, Marner will be looking to build on that success and help Vegas make another run at the Stanley Cup. The organization has championship aspirations, and his playmaking ability remains a major part of those plans.

For now, however, Marner has something much more important happening away from the rink.

His absence against St. Louis gives the Golden Knights an opportunity to demonstrate their depth, but nobody in Vegas will be expecting him to rush back before he's ready. With his wife Stephanie in labor and their second child on the way, the star forward has every reason to take the time he needs before returning to the lineup.

Marner is expected to rejoin the team later this week, giving Vegas hope that its star forward won't be away for long. Until then, the Golden Knights will have to manage without one of their most important offensive weapons.

And regardless of what happens on the ice tonight, it's safe to say Marner has a much bigger victory to celebrate with his family.