Auston Matthews biography author takes brutal dig at Mitch Marner's controversial admission of security fears in Toronto

This is the Toronto Maple Leafs' first season in years without the presence of forward Mitch Marner. Kevin McGran, author of Auston Matthews: A Life in Hockey, spoke about Marner’s exit and his experience in Toronto.

On July 1, Marner was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights. Nearly two months after his trade, Marner spoke about safety concerns during his time in Toronto. Fans posted his family’s home address online after a playoff loss. His family later hired full-time security to protect themselves.

Speaking during a segment of the SDPN podcast shared on X, McGran said Marner was using media attention as an excuse.

"I think it's the lamest excuse on the planet," McGran said. "And I don't know where exactly it comes from. I don't really think it comes from the players or their agents at all."

McGran noted that other players in big markets handle the spotlight without issue.

"I think it's almost fan-induced, like it never seems to bother the Yankees all those years in the biggest market, or the Dodgers right now," McGran said. "It doesn't bother players at Wimbledon."

McGran said Mitch Marner had people around him feeding negative comments about him. He added that Toronto players face more criticism because of local connections.

"Mitch would say 'The media,' and it's like 'us,' like, I don't remember saying anything," McGran said. "Like Marner's little bit different, because I think he had so many people around him telling him what people were saying. "Whereas the guy from Stockholm has his brother, the guy from Scottsdale, his mom and dad might be in town, but the guys from Toronto do have, or the guys from Southern Ontario, in Ryan O'Reilly's case, probably do have, more people feeding them the bad stuff."

So far this season, Mitch Marner has six assists in five games for Vegas. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs have had an average start with three wins and two losses without him.

Agent on Mitch Marner's security breach in Toronto

Mitch Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, shared details about the security situation with Marner in Toronto. Speaking in late August, He said the family received threats after the address leak.

"We had people throwing stuff in his yard,” Ferris said, via The Athletic. "Someone actually posted his address (on social media) once. We had to get it taken down with the help of the Leafs' security (staff). … And there was another occasion where there was a death threat, and we traced it to a kid in Oakville, and the police went..."

Marner loved the city and his teammates but needed to move forward. He called leaving Toronto “toughest” but necessary for family safety. He signed an eight-year, $96 million deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar