TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner stepped on the ice for warmups and heard some boos during an initial lap around a rink he knows well.
The Vegas Golden Knights winger experienced more jeers on his first shift. That noise only got louder when Marner finally touched the puck, followed by an unexpected ovation after heading to the bench.
kAmx? 9:D 7:CDE 82>6 324< 2E $4@E:232?< pC6?2 D:?46 2 5C2H?\@FE 5:G@C46 H:E9 E96 %@C@?E@ |2A=6 {627D H2D 7:?2=:K65 =2DE DF>>6C[ |2C?6C 76=E 2 C2?86 @7 6>@E:@?D uC:52J ?:89E]k^Am
kAmp?5 =67E H:E9 2 e\b G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAm“!2DD:@?2E6 72? 32D6[” |2C?6C D2:5] “%96J =@G6 E96:C E62>] xE H2D :?E6C6DE:?8 E96 H9@=6 ?:89E] (96? H2C>FAD 9:E[ :E C62==J ;FDE 76=E @55 2?5 H6:C5]”k^Am
kAm%96 |2A=6 {627D 9@?@C65 |2C?6C[ H9@ DA6?E ?:?6 D62D@?D 😕 %@C@?E@ A=2J:?8 7@C E96 E62> 96 4966C65 7@C 2D 2 <:5[ 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE E6=6G:D:@? E:>6@FE] %96C6 H2D 2 >:IEFC6 @7 3@@D 2?5 4966CD E9C@F89@FE E96 c_\D64@?5 G:56@ EC:3FE6 2D >2?J 72?D C@D6 E@ E96:C 766E] |2C?6C C2:D65 9:D C:89E 2C> 2?5 E2AA65 9:D 496DE 😕 24@H=658>6?E H:E9 ‘682D 2=C625J FA a\_]k^Am
kAm“x H2D ECJ:?8 E@ ;FDE E2<6 :E 😕 2?5 ?@E 86E 6>@E:@?2=[” 96 D2:5] “$E:== 8@E 2 =@E @7 =@G6 7@C E96D6 72?D]”k^Am
kAmpD<65 :7 E96C6 H2D 2 D6?D6 @7 C6=:67 E96 9@>64@>:?8 H2D 7:?2==J @G6C[ |2C?6C C6A=:65 H:E9 2 D>:=6i “r@>A=6E6=J[ 567:?:E6=J[ 9@?6DE=J]”k^Am
kAm’682D 42AE2:? |2C< $E@?6 E9@F89E E96 2E>@DA96C6 9:E E96 C:89E ?@E6D 2== ?:89E]k^Am
kAm“*@F’C6 6IA64E:?8 3@@D[ C:89En” $E@?6 D2:5] ”W|2C?6CX 5@6D?’E A=2J 7@C E96 |2A=6 {627D 2?J>@C6[ 3FE E96J E:A E96:C 42A E@ H92E 96 5:5 7@C E9:D @C82?:K2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmsC27E65 7@FCE9 @G6C2== 😕 a_`d[ |2C?6C 6?;@J65 A=6?EJ @7 C68F=2C\D62D@? DF446DD H:E9 E96 |2A=6 {627D[ 3FE H2D 2 =:89E?:?8 C@5 @7 4C:E:4:D> 😕 9@4<6J’D 3:886DE >65:2 >2C<6E 7@C %@C@?E@’D :?23:=:EJ E@ 3C62< E9C@F89 😕 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAmp D=@H >2C49 @FE E96 5@@C 7C@> 9:D 56 724E@ 9@>6E@H? =2DE D62D@? 2D F?C6DEC:4E65 7C66 286?4J =@@>65 7:?2==J 6?565 H96? 96 H2D D9:AA65 E@ ‘682D 😕 2 D:8?\2?5\EC256 562= E92E ?6EE65 |2C?6C 2? 6:89E\J62C[ She >:==:@? 6IE6?D:@?]k^Am
kAm“%92E W3@@:?8X H2D 7:?6[” 96 D2:5] “x 6H H2D :E 8@:?8 E@ 4@>6 … E96 4966C:?8 H96? x H2D 8@:?8 @77 H2D AC6EEJ 7F??J] x 5:5?’E D66 E92E @?6 4@>:?8]”k^Am
kAm|2C?6C[ H9@ A:4<65 FA EH@ 2DD:DED 😕 2 e\d @G6CE:>6 G:4E@CJ 282:?DE 9:D @=5 E62> @? E96 {2D ‘682D $EC:A =2DE H66<[ 92D `a 8@2=D 2?5 c_ 2DD:DED 😕 d_ 82>6D E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm“~FC 8FJD H6C6 8@:?8 E@ ECJ E@ 3C:?8 E96:C 36DE 7@C |:E49[” ‘682D 4@249 qCF46 r2DD:5J D2:5] “p?5 E96J 5:5]’k^Am
kAm|2C?6C’D ?6H 4=F3 D:ED 4@>7@CE23=J 😕 2 A=2J@77 A@D:E:@? 2E@A E96 !24:7:4 s:G:D:@? DE2?5:?8D[ H9:=6 %@C@?E@ 😀 @? E96 @FED:56 😕 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 A@DE\D62D@? C246]k^Am
kAm“%96 3@@:?8 x 925[ :E H2D H92E x 6IA64E65[” 96 D2:5] “%C:65 E@ A=2J E9C@F89 :E[ A=2J H:E9 E96 AF4<[ A=2J >J 82>6] p?5 5@ >J E9:?8]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.