TORONTO (AP) \u2014 Mitch Marner stepped on the ice for warmups and heard some boos during an initial lap around a rink he knows well.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In his first game back at Scotiabank Arena since a drawn-out divorce with the Toronto Maple Leafs was finalized last summer, Marner felt a range of emotions Friday night.<\/p>\n
And left with a 6-3 victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cPassionate fan base,\u201d Marner said. \u201cThey love their team. It was interesting the whole night. When warmups hit, it really just felt odd and weird.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Maple Leafs honored Marner, who spent nine seasons in Toronto playing for the team he cheered for as a kid, during the first television timeout. There was a mixture of boos and cheers throughout the 40-second video tribute as many fans rose to their feet. Marner raised his right arm and tapped his chest in acknowledgment with Vegas already up 2-0.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to just take it in and not get emotional,\u201d he said. \u201cStill got a lot of love for these fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if there was a sense of relief the homecoming was finally over, Marner replied with a smile: \u201cCompletely, definitely, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vegas captain Mark Stone thought the atmosphere hit the right notes all night.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re expecting boos, right?\u201d Stone said. \u201d(Marner) doesn\u2019t play for the Maple Leafs anymore, but they tip their cap to what he did for this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drafted fourth overall in 2015, Marner enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with the Maple Leafs, but was a lightning rod of criticism in hockey\u2019s biggest media market for Toronto\u2019s inability to break through in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
A slow march out the door from his de facto hometown last season as unrestricted free agency loomed finally ended when he was shipped to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal that netted Marner an eight-year, $96 million extension.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat (booing) was fine,\u201d he said. \u201cI knew was it going to come \u2026 the cheering when I was going off was pretty funny. I didn\u2019t see that one coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marner, who picked up two assists in a 6-5 overtime victory against his old team on the Las Vegas Strip last week, has 12 goals and 40 assists in 50 games this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guys were going to try to bring their best for Mitch,\u201d Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. \u201cAnd they did.\u2019<\/p>\n
Marner\u2019s new club sits comfortably in a playoff position atop the Pacific Division standings, while Toronto is on the outside in the Eastern Conference post-season race.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe booing I had, it was what I expected,\u201d he said. \u201cTried to play through it, play with the puck, play my game. And do my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n