For Mitch Marner, Choosing Vegas Wasn’t Only About Hockey

Raising a family in Las Vegas wouldn’t be the obvious choice for most NHL players. The city’s image—casinos, chaos, “Sin City”—doesn’t exactly scream family stability. But for Mitch Marner, moving to Vegas wasn’t about the lights. It was about peace.

After nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and immediately signed an eight-year extension. The move surprised some fans, especially since Marner is a Toronto native who once dreamed of bringing a Stanley Cup to his hometown. But when the season ended, he made it clear: the decision wasn’t just professional—it was personal.

“But now, being a family man, a father,” Marner said, “we thought it was time to look somewhere else and find a new home… a new place to grow our family.”

Marner Left the Spotlight to Find Stability

If that sounds like a strange sentence to attach to Las Vegas, think again. For Marner, Toronto had stopped feeling like home. He was carjacked at gunpoint in 2022. His family faced harassment. And under the weight of relentless media coverage, public blame, and playoff heartbreak, his relationship with the city soured. The Toronto spotlight had gone from energizing to exhausting.

In Vegas, Marner joins a winning culture. The Golden Knights have made the playoffs in every season but one since entering the league. They’ve already lifted the Stanley Cup. In contrast, Marner spent his entire Maple Leafs tenure chasing postseason success that never came.

“Obviously the winning regimen they’ve put up… they’ve got such a competitive team every year,” Marner said. That matters. But so does everything else. The move offers a quieter life, a fresh start, and—ironically—a place in “Sin City” where he can just be Mitch again.