RALEIGH, N.C. -- Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel said that his teammate Mitch Marner was treated unfairly during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"As a teammate and a friend of his, and somebody that cares about him and his family, of course I do," Eichel said at Stanley Cup Final media day Monday. "I think the world of Mitch. Anybody that has negative or bad things to say about him, obviously I disagree with, because I think highly of him."
Marner is the leading scorer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (21 points in 16 games) and a driving force behind the Golden Knights' third trip to the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. His performance stands in stark contrast with his reputation during nine seasons in Toronto, where his postseason struggles made him a symbol of the Maple Leafs' playoff failures.
Marner said hearing constant criticism in Toronto became "a real mental grind" and affected him physically. He was traded ahead of unrestricted free agency last summer to Vegas, where he's in the first year of an eight-year contract. Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon said his team has given Marner a chance to thrive.
"I think our team is deeper and a better team than what he had played on in Toronto. Not that Toronto didn't have real good teams. But you have to have that depth throughout your roster, because everyone's going to take their turn," McCrimmon said Monday. "Mitch is playing with tremendous confidence. He's really savoring the moment."
During the playoffs, Marner has tried to avoid going in-depth about his time in Toronto and how it contrasts with his experience in Vegas. But there have been a few cracks in the veneer recently. He said after Game 3 of the conference final that the Golden Knights "don't turn on each other" when things go poorly, which many read as a reference to the Maple Leafs. After winning the West, Marner said there had been some "dark times" in hockey for himself.
When asked about the "dark times" at media day, Marner said "I'll talk about that in the coming weeks," with the focus on the Golden Knights' Cup run. Eichel had his own "dark times" with the Buffalo Sabres, missing the playoffs for the first six seasons of his NHL career before being traded to Vegas and winning the Stanley Cup in 2023.
"Mitch has opened up to me about some of the things that he went through and I've opened up to him about some of the things I went through. I think it's probably good for both of us to have done that," he said. "Mitch is a big boy. He's got some scar tissue to show for it. I don't like people saying bad things about him because I care about the guy."
Marner also didn't want to talk about a connection he has to the Carolina Hurricanes. Last season, they attempted to trade for Marner, who blocked the deal with his no-movement clause. "I'm not a guy that lives in the past," Marner said. "I'm in the present. I'm here in the moment. Like I said, I'm extremely excited to get going."
Carolina GM Eric Tulsky also declined to address the rejected Marner trade and what he liked about the player, citing that he was a player under contract with another team.
"I can answer that one," coach Rod Brind'Amour, seated beside Tulsky, said. "What don't you like about him?"
Marner was more candid in speaking about Hurricanes goalie Freddie Andersen, who was Marner's teammate in Toronto during his first five seasons in the NHL.
"Freddie was one of the guys when I first came into the league that was just very open and very inviting to me. Invited me over, invited me to dinners. After games we'd always just hang out and talk hockey," Marner said. "He was one of the guys that really just brought me in and made me feel really comfortable since day one."
Andersen said Marner has "always been a fun character" and "a joy to be around," and considers him a friend.
"In the journey of a hockey career, you get to meet so many special people," Andersen said. "Obviously, he's got the kid now, and that's really cool to see. He was very young when I got to meet him and seeing him develop into a family man like that and move on, it's been fun to see."