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1 hour ago
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Toronto Maple Leafs fans had found plenty of reason to despise Mitch Marner since the end of last NHL season.
He made it clear he wouldn't return to town in free agency, and so he essentially forced a sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Marner was tired of being asked about it in interviews. So too is current Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
Toronto wanted to forget about Marner, put him behind them, not worry about what he was up to.
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Well, except for in the Olympics. Marner is Canadian. And on Wednesday in the quarterfinal against Czechia, Canada needed a hero.
Maybe the Maple Leafs would've preferred someone else to score the goal that sent them to the semifinal round.
But there sure isn't anyone in Toronto mad at Marner right now.
It's a legacy-defining goal if Canada goes on to win the gold medal. Marner picked the puck up in the center of the ice, drove right down the middle in the 3-on-3 format, slid to his backhand side and then flipped the puck up and in.
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He may no longer be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he wore a red Maple Leaf on his chest in the biggest moment of his career.
Marner may not have the best playoff pedigree in the NHL. He may have perturbed countless Toronto fans with his departure for Vegas.
But this changes all of that. Marner was clutch. He was heroic. And because of him, the entire country of Canada has an Olympic men's hockey team to continue to root toward gold.
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