Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto was supposed to be hockey’s biggest story of the season. The former Maple Leafs star, fresh off signing an eight-year, $96 million deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, was set to face his old team in what should have been a must-watch moment. Instead, the NHL’s scheduling has one analyst fuming about a massive missed opportunity.

Why Did the NHL Bungle Mitch Marner’s Return to Toronto?

When Marner left the Maple Leafs for Vegas, fans circled the calendar for his return. The NHL released its full schedule for the upcoming season, and Toronto supporters weren’t disappointed to see the matchup on the books.

However, the timing has raised eyebrows. The Maple Leafs tweeted their schedule for the upcoming regular season, revealing that Vegas and Marner won’t visit Toronto until late January. While the first game between the two teams is in Vegas, the home game is scheduled for January 23.

NHL analyst Bryan Hayes has strong opinions about this scheduling decision. On a recent episode of the “TSN OverDrive” radio show, Hayes and hosts Frank Corrado and Keegan Matheson discussed the impact of Marner’s return to Toronto.

Hayes pointed out the unusual timing: “The Leafs and the Knights meet each other in January twice over the course of eight days, and the buildup to the game is going to be about Marner.” He called it “pretty crazy” that the two teams would face each other within such a short window.

The anticipation for this homecoming is massive. “I think it will be the most-anticipated Maple Leaf homecoming, likely in my lifetime,” Hayes said. He compared it to when Wendell Clark was traded, noting that “no one wanted Wendell to go.”

Hayes believes this has all the ingredients for a special night: “This is gonna have it all. Like this is gonna have everything you could look for.” However, he’s frustrated with the league’s execution: “And I predicted this yesterday. I said it. The NHL will screw this up. And they did.”

Full schedule for ya pic.twitter.com/D5tvdVniXv

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 16, 2025

According to Hayes, the problem lies in the travel schedule. Vegas will be in Boston the night before, on January 22, before coming to Toronto on January 23 for their second game. This back-to-back setup means Marner will arrive, play, and leave without any post-game media availability.

While Hayes understands the NHL’s desire to protect Marner from what could be an emotionally charged situation, he argues this approach undermines the value of entertainment. The analyst recognizes the significance of Marner’s departure, describing him as “a local kid” who left Toronto to join “a big-money squad.”

Despite the league’s scheduling decisions, Hayes believes the NHL isn’t giving fans what they want. The hosts concluded their discussion by suggesting that if Marner “has some heart, he should make himself available” to the media regardless of the NHL’s protective scheduling.