If there was one Maple Leafs player who was pleased with Toronto’s signing of forward Max Domi this summer, it was Mitch Marner, his former teammate with the London Knights of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The two men enjoyed success together on this circuit from 2013 to 2015 before Domi moved up to the professional ranks. In his final two years as a junior, he amassed 201 points in 118 regular season games, while Marner scored 185 points in 127 appearances. Therefore, it is no surprise that the latter responded positively to the arrival of the former, who accepted a one-year, $3 million contract in July.
• Also read: NHL: Here’s the trade deadline in 2024
• Also read: Jets players are happy to see two pillars again
• Also read: A first game this weekend for Connor Bedard
“I’m very excited. We’ve developed a very good relationship in these two years in London. “He’s a phenomenal hockey player and equally phenomenal in the locker room,” said number 16 during an interview with the Toronto Star newspaper on Thursday “That goes for all of our new players too. That’s what we want them to be, to be themselves. Max is very easy to get to know. He has a lot of character and gives a lot of energy.”
Ready to get back to work
This enthusiasm reveals the mood of Marner, who has been married for a few months. However, it is above all the upcoming election campaign that has him excited. He’s impatient with the idea of contributing to the success of the Leafs, who are still searching for their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
“Every man approaches the situation differently. In my case, after about three weeks, I started getting bored at home because I didn’t know what to do all day. That’s how it is with me. I want to get back, exercise and make sure I’m okay physically,” he said of the days after connecting with his wife.
“July was a bit complicated with weddings, including ours, and other external commitments. However, you have to find a way to train. There are gyms everywhere we go. And several players were present at weddings. So we played tennis and did other activities like that.”