Jack Eichel Makes It Clear: Win Over Maple Leafs Was for Mitch Marner

There was no shortage of storylines heading into Thursday night’s matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

At the forefront was Mitch Marner, facing his former team for the first time since his somewhat ugly breakup with the organization he was drafted by and spent nine great seasons with. Plenty of Maple Leafs fans made the trip to see it, and they let him hear it at T-Mobile Arena, but that only seemed to further motivate Marner and his new teammates.

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Marner and the Golden Knights completed a thrilling 6–5 comeback win in overtime, thanks to a game-tying goal from Tomas Hertl—set up by Jack Eichel—followed by Eichel finishing things himself with a beautiful winner in the extra frame.

Vegas’ superstar center is no stranger to facing a former team under tense circumstances after his own split with Buffalo, so he knew exactly what Marner was dealing with on Thursday night. As a result, the Golden Knights were especially happy to get the win for him.

Eichel said:

“I mean, listen, we know how much it means to him, because of how much it means to him, it means that much to us as well. You know, I’ve been in similar situations when you’re playing your old team—you want to have a good showing and win the game. You could tell he had jump right from the start and was a huge part of the game, and you know how much it meant to him. So, meant a lot to us to get the win there. Yeah, just really excited, I’m sure it feels really good for him,”

The 28-year-old Marner continues a productive first season as a Golden Knight, now up to 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists) in 46 games. He was, of course, dealt to Vegas this summer in a sign-and-trade for Nicolas Roy before inking an eight-year, $96 million extension with the team.

Expect a Harsh Reception for Mitch Marner in Toronto

If you thought the boo birds were harsh at home on Thursday, buckle up—next Friday in Toronto is going to be on a whole different level.

Marner will make his return to his hometown for the first time as a visitor next Friday when the Maple Leafs host the Golden Knights. As Nicolas Roy experienced on Thursday, expect Marner to receive some kind of tribute where the fans do pay their respects for all that he did throughout his time as a face of their franchise.

That said, the more and more that comes out about his Toronto exit only has Leafs Nation further turning on him, so outside of that brief moment of recognition, there’s unlikely to be much love lost when Marner steps onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena.

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