Mitch Marner Recalls 'Tough' Final Phone Call with Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews

“Obviously, the phone call to Auston. That was a tough one,” Marner said. “He had to get back to Arizona pretty quickly after the season. I was going to try to get a sit-down with him before, but it just didn’t pan out with everything happening.

"That phone call was pretty tough. It was pretty emotional. Obviously, we came in together. We did a lot of things together.”

Marner was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade on July 1. He also told Masters that the conversations with other members of the Leafs’ “Core Four” were just as difficult, citing John Tavares, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly as players he leaned on heavily to navigate the challenges of playing in Toronto.

Marner signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Vegas before being traded, ending a nine-year run in his hometown. The move closed one of the most productive partnerships in Leafs history, with Marner leaving Toronto after a career-best 102-point season.

Auston Matthews Reflects on Losing Mitch Marner

Matthews addressed Marner’s departure during a charity event in Brampton on Aug. 20. The Leafs captain called Marner a close friend and a key player whose absence will be felt next season in Toronto.

“We’ll obviously miss him,” Matthews said. “He’s a great friend, great teammate. That’s kind of the business side of it. That’s tough, but obviously I wish him nothing but the best, and yeah, we’ll just keep it moving.”

The two forwards rank among Toronto’s all-time scoring leaders and were central to the Leafs’ hopes of ending their decades-long championship drought. Instead, they leave behind a record of only two playoff series wins in their era together.