Mitch Marner Reveals the Death Threats That Made Him Leave the Toronto Maple Leafs
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner recently sat down with Mark Masters, where he opened up about the death threats he received this season.
Mitch Marner is now a member of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and in the eyes of Maple Leafs fans, this is the ultimate betrayal.
However, this was not an easy decision for Mitch. He is the hometown kid, and the Leafs just came off their deepest run of the Core Four era.
That said, Marner now has a child, and he has to think about the environment his kid is growing up in. Given the forward's recent admission to Mark Masters, it shouldn't be a surprise that Marner decided to move on.
Mitch Marner opens up about Toronto Maple Leafs fans
According to TSN, Marner recounted what happened to him after the Leafs got blown out in Game 7 at home against the Florida Panthers.
"We lose Game 7 as we do in [the most] non-enjoyable way of all time probably," Marner said. "You know, get home, you're pretty disappointed, you're pretty devastated at that. You know, the thought also of it being my last Maple Leaf game at home."
His family members were being sent his address, and there were even some death threats involved. It was becoming clear as day that he needed a change of scenery before things got dire.
"[He] goes, 'I just want to let you know, we've got people sending us screenshots of a guy posting your address online saying that if people want to come pay us a visit and say, you know, their goodbyes, in a quotation way, here's the address.' And it was a little tough, obviously. I mean, we kind of dealt with it for the last two years in a way. The market's very passionate. They love the team. I mean, I know it. I was born and raised there. I've been a part of the Leafs Nation for a long time. But, yeah, when your family's safety comes into question, especially having a new son, I don't think it's acceptable."
Death threats are never acceptable, and Mitch Marner feels the same way, hence his decision to leave.
Whether or not Marner faces similar treatment in Las Vegas still remains to be seen. No matter what, Leafs fans will be watching.
Hopefully, Leafs fans will look inward and realize that sometimes their actions can turn star players away from the franchise.
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