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Backlash Erupts Over Mitch Marner's Disappointing Message to Maple Leafs Fans

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 8:48 AM ET

Mitch Marner has unsurprisingly faced backlash for his departure from Toronto, and now the fans are even picking apart his farewell message to the organization.

The Toronto Maple Leafs bid farewell to a franchise star on Monday, officially using a sign-and-trade to facilitate Mitch Marner moving on to new horizons with the Vegas Golden Knights.

After the move was made official on social media, Marner sent a heartfelt farewell to Maple Leafs fans everywhere, stating that it was his dream to bring a Stanley Cup back to his hometown team.

'I gave everything I had, but in the end it wasn't enough. That's hard to admit because I wanted it so badly for all of us.'

Ultimately that didn't happen and he faced plenty of backlash for making his way to Vegas, and now, fans are calling him out on social media for a different reason following his farewell.

According to one user on X, there was over 98% chance that Marner's farewell was written by AI, and while it seemed to be a heartfelt, appreciative message from the longtime Maple Leaf, it may not have been so after all.

That's not the biggest deal in the grand scheme of things, but as some people pointed out on the post, it was just another example of him putting in half an effort rather than going all in for his team.

Ultimately though, the Marner in Toronto chapter is now over, and while he'll get booed by fans when he returns, he's now out of the spotlight of the Toronto and Maple Leafs media, and this is another example of why he'll be appreciative to be away from that.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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