After the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Mitch Marner discussed the emotions of the series loss to the Panthers, the impact of the intense Toronto market on his family, and his future with the organization.
What have the last 24 hours been like for you as you process the situation for you and your family?
Marner: Like everyone, I am saddened and devastated in a way. It is never easy. There are no words to put to it. It is hard. It gets harder.
Do you want to be a Maple Leaf next season?
Marner: I have always loved spending time here. I’ve loved being here. As I said the other night, I have been so grateful. I haven’t processed anything yet. It is all so fresh. Losing sucks.
What all will factor into your decision about where you play next season? What is most important to you?
Marner: It is so fresh. It is tough to really think about anything right now, going forward, future-wise. I was hoping to be playing hockey tonight. That is not the outcome. I haven’t really thought about anything.
In the next couple of weeks, I will sit down with my wife, and we will start talking to figure out what the next steps are.
How much do you think the pressure and scrutiny in the market impact your ability to compete, if at all?
Marner: There is pressure anywhere and everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you are. There is always pressure.
We put the most pressure on ourselves and hold ourselves to such a high level of accountability. You want to win every year. It would be lovely if you could, but it is hard to do. We hold ourselves to such a high level of accountability that the pressure from the outside doesn’t bother us too much. It’s more what you put on yourself.
Hockey aside, what has it been like to live in the city over these years as a Maple Leaf?
Marner: It has been amazing. There have been ups and downs, obviously. You want to win every year. You really do. You feel the love and passion in the city. You are forever grateful for that.
It is one of the best cities to live in in the world. I have been forever grateful to not just grow up here, wear this Maple Leaf, and be a part of the history of this team.
Yeah, it is tough to say.
How difficult would it be to leave this team if you did decide to move on?
Marner: I keep saying the same things, but it is tough to process. As I keep saying, it is so fresh. It is 24 hours after our season ended. I haven’t thought about anything or sat down with my wife to talk about the future or the next steps. That will come in the next couple of weeks. We will start figuring stuff out.
I have been forever grateful, especially with this group.
Have you taken a giant step back at the end of the season and wondered why this high-end group of talent has never been able to get through on the final game of the year?
Marner: It sucks. It sucks a lot. I don’t know. It is tough to say on that one. If you look at all sports, there are amazing teams that haven’t been able to go through. Sometimes, it just takes a little longer. That sometimes happens.
We can’t change anything in the past now. All we can do is focus on being as strong, fast, and powerful as we can this summer and come back with [your best foot] forward.
What were your takeaways from Auston Matthews’ first season as captain? What has it been like playing with him over your career?
Marner: Both have been amazing. His leadership over the last couple of years has really developed in such a great way. The captaincy didn’t change who he was in the locker room, on the ice, or in the city. He is still the exact same person. That is something you really appreciate. Nothing ever went to his head. He took such responsibility. He took everything on himself very hard, as we all do.
It has been a special time to play hockey with him. He has been an unbelievable player. He is one of the best in the world. Leadership-wise, he has really taken a step forward in the last couple of years. It was great to see this year as well.
After Game 7, Paul Maurice said that the Toronto spotlight can be hard on players’ families. What do you think it has been like for your family while you’ve been a high-profile Leaf?
Marner: I am sure it is tough on them. You have to not focus on that. My wife and I have done such a good job in the last couple of years of not focusing on it. You can’t focus on it.
You know that there is so much love and appreciation for yourself and from the fans out there. Just because you don’t hear it, you know it is out there; you have the love of a lot of people. Sometimes, the noise you hear is not what you want, but that is how it goes.
I am sure my family has taken it hard, especially being in the crowd for a couple of games, but that is how the game of hockey goes. The passion the city brings is something you appreciate and love about it.
When you look at this playoff performance compared to past ones, what about this particular loss feels different?
Marner: Just the momentum around the team and vibe around the team. Everything about that morning and that day was high energy and high octane. I didn’t feel like we were nervous at all. We were excited for the opportunity and the moment.
It sucks. You want to still be playing hockey right now and be getting ready for a hockey game. Sometimes, it doesn’t go your way. It is tough to look back and try to change things. You can’t. What hurts the most is looking back on the what-ifs. There is nothing you can change. It has happened. That is what sucks the most.
