Mitch Marner Shares His True Thoughts on Joining the Vegas Golden Knights

The newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Mitch Marner, spoke to reporters for the first time since the sign-and-trade, where he revealed his true feelings.

Mitch Marner made it official Tuesday night: he's a Vegas Golden Knight now, and it's exactly where he wanted to be. Speaking at his introductory press conference in Las Vegas, Marner, sporting his new No. 93 jersey, said Vegas was his top choice.

"We thought about going to free agency, but this is the place we want to be," Marner said, referring to himself and his wife, Stephanie. "We don't want to lose that opportunity, and we wanted to join this hockey team."

His wife, infant son Miles, and parents were all with him as he went through his first day with the club. The deal was via a sign-and-trade with Toronto, as Marner signed an eight-year, $96-million deal ($12 million AAV).

"My mindset the whole time I was in Toronto, was that it was really tough to leave Toronto," Marner said. "To be honest, I didn't ever think it would maybe come to that day.

The Leafs got Nicolas Roy in return for Marner

The Maple Leafs received center Nicolas Roy in return. Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon revealed the trade was finalized during the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday.

Vegas has been interested in Marner for some time, even attempting to get him at the March trade deadline in a three-team deal with Carolina and Mikko Rantanen. That deal never materialized.

Marner said he hadn't waived his no-trade clause in the past because his wife was pregnant and late-term, and they did not want to move mid-season.

After Toronto's second-round playoff ousting at the hands of the eventual Cup-champion Panthers, that changed. When Marner's agent, Darren Ferris, told him Vegas had renewed interest, the family decided to pursue it.

"The winning aspect of this team really helped. Lucky enough, it all worked out. This is where we wanted to be."