Ryan Reaves Addresses Fans' Treatment of Former Maple Leafs Star Mitch Marner
Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves has addressed the harsh treatment that former Leafs star Mitch Marner received during his time in Toronto.
The way Mitch Marner's tenure ended in Toronto will be talked about for years to come. The former first round pick was on his way to breaking franchise records and putting himself atop the leaderboard in Toronto before his eventual sign-and-trade with Vegas.
Nevertheless, it was time to move on, and the Leafs at least got something out of it. However, the treatment that Marner has received from fans has been a talking point all summer, whether justified or not, and it's something that probably won't be swept under the rug quite yet.
Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves addressed that topic, among many others, as a guest on the 'Cam & Strick Podcast' this week, and gave us some insight on his perspective of the situation.
"I think they [the fans] can be a little ruthless to him. I guess just because he's the hometown guy and sometimes fans want to point fingers at somebody."
He later added that there's two sides to the fan base, one that wants to win so bad they're willing to bring players down if they have to, and the other side that are "loyal" and cheer no matter what.
"I think there's the ones that just want to win so bad that they're willing to drag anybody through the dirt, and then there's the loyal fans that just want to cheer on a good team.
It's tough for any player when you're reading all the hate that you get and it's probably just frustrating."
It's tough for any player when you're reading all the hate that you get and it's probably just frustrating."
The negativity coming out of Toronto this spring has definitely caught the eye of many in the media and stirred conversations about how it might deter free agents from wanting to sign in Toronto over the summer.
In the end, Marner's legacy won't be looked upon too highly, at least for the next several years, and you can assure yourself that the Maple Leafs faithful won't take it easy on him whenever he makes his first visit back to Scotiabank Arena in 2025-26.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 9 | 3019 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves Addresses Fans' Treatment of Former Maple Leafs Star Mitch Marner Do you agree with Ryan Reaves' statement about the unfair treatment Mitch Marner received? | ||
| Yes | 1260 | 41.7 % |
| No | 1759 | 58.3 % |
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