Apr 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) skates against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Mitch Marner Reveals Why He Stopped Trade to Hurricanes

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jon Alfano | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 7:00 AM ET

After nine years with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, All-Star forward Mitch Marner is set to begin a new chapter of his career with the Vegas Golden Knights following a blockbuster sign-and-trade that netted him an eight-year, $96 million contract.

However, he actually had a chance to start his new chapter much earlier, and in a different location.

Leading up to the trade deadline, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving approached Marner about a potential deal that would've sent him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen. Of course, that ended up not happening, as Marner refused to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate the deal. The Hurricanes ultimately traded Rantanen to the Dallas Stars in exchange for two first-round picks, two third-round picks and Logan Stankoven.

During an interview with NHL.com's Derek Van Diest, Marner confirmed exactly what many suspected, that he vetoed the trade for the sake of his family.

“The last two years there were a lot of rumors going on, a lot of different stuff swirling around. You didn’t know what was going to happen," Marner said. “Then the whole Carolina thing comes up in the middle of the season. It’s a bit of an awkward one. My wife was six or seven months pregnant, we really didn’t want to be a deadline player."

“I would have had to leave and go back to Toronto because my wife wasn’t coming down with me, so I was moving into Carolina myself if I did that. The logistics of it and everything, it just didn’t make sense and then from that point on, we told [the Maple Leafs] we were committed to [Toronto] and we were going to play it all out.”

At the time, Marner and his wife had just welcomed their newborn son, so having to move to a different country in the middle of the season would've just added more stress to an already overwhelming situation.

On the other side of the coin, Marner also had to deal with the extreme pressure of playing in a high-stakes environment like Toronto, and often being the whipping boy for the Maple Leafs' playoff failures. He recently revealed that he needed full-time security at his home after having his address leaked, which was not only tough for him, but his family as well.

Moving to Vegas — where expectations are still incredibly high, but fans aren't quite as rabid as they are in Toronto — should be in Marner's and his family's best interest.

“We’re looking for a new chapter, a new peaceful way of life sort of way, and we're going to enjoy watching our son grow up outside more, too," Marner said. "We’ll have to bring him back (to Toronto) a couple of times in the winter just so he can see the snow, but we’re looking forward to the relaxed side of things for sure.”

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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