Why Maple Leafs’ Marner ≠ Blackkawks’ Toews — and Never Will

Every time Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto comes up, someone inevitably reaches for the Jonathan Toews comparison from his return to Chicago. Same idea, they say. Longtime star. Emotional comeback. Big moment for the fans.

Except it isn’t the same at all. And pretending it is misses the entire point.

Toews Returned as the Captain of Multiple Stanley Cup Winners

Jonathan Toews returned to Chicago as the captain of a dynasty. Three Stanley Cups. A Conn Smythe. A player who didn’t just represent an era—he defined it. Whatever frustrations fans had along the way, the ledger was settled. The banners were already hanging. His return was a thank-you lap, not a reckoning.

Marner’s story is different. A lot less decorated, and far more complicated. He was an elite talent in Toronto for nearly a decade. He put up points, wore an “A, played huge minutes, and carried enormous pressure in one of the league’s hardest markets.

That should matter enough that you can acknowledge all of that without blinking. But you can’t pretend the ending didn’t matter too. No Stanley Cups. Not even close to getting into the Finals. Too many springs that ended the same way, with the same questions left unanswered.

Toews and Marner Carry Different Histories with Their Former Teams

That’s not rewriting history for either player. That is the history.

What’s always strange about these comparisons is how quickly they turn into instructions for fans. You should either cheer this way or feel gratitude. You should react properly. But fandom doesn’t work like that. Emotion isn’t a script, and appreciation doesn’t cancel disappointment.

Toronto fans can respect Marner’s contribution and still feel conflicted about how it all ended. Those two things aren’t opposites. They coexist in almost every long sports relationship that doesn’t end with a parade.