Stone defends Marner's ability to thrive in big games after some big moments for Team Canada.
For three seasons, from 2016-19, Mark Stone and Mitch Marner battled hard against each other as important soldiers in the Battle of Ontario. Today, as NHL and Team Canada teammates, that's all water under the bridge.
Both left their respective Ontario teams in free agency; Stone in 2019 and Marner in 2025. But the reaction of their fan bases couldn't have been more different.
Sens fans universally wanted Stone to stay, while many Toronto fans, after yet another early exit from the playoffs last spring, seemed to have an indifferent attitude of "Don't let the door hit you on the way out" as Marner left town. Marner put up big points in the regular season, but some fans felt like he didn't show up in big games.
However, Marner's international play for Canada in the past year tells a much different tale.
Marner scored in overtime to beat Sweden in the 4-Nations Face-off opener last year, then finished as well as he started, setting up Connor McDavid's overtime tournament-winning goal. And of course, on Wednesday, he scored a gorgeous 3-on-3 overtime winner in the Olympic quarterfinal against Czechia.
So some fans may be rethinking their theory that Marner can't deliver in big games.
Stone certainly doesn't buy into it. The former Senator had his teammate's back completely when asked this week about Marner's reputation for not coming clutch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs or Game Sevens.
“As a teammate, I haven’t experienced that,” Stone told Sportsnet's Luke Fox. “4-Nations, he gets a huge overtime goal for us, makes an incredible play for the winner. “Then tonight, when we need him the most, he makes the play. So, I think it’s a Toronto thing.”
Ouch, Leaf fans. Ouch.
Stone is clearly suggesting that the only people who think Marner isn't clutch are Leaf fans. And there may also be some defence of Marner over how difficult it can be to perform in the Toronto circus.
When Canada is cheering you on, the weight of expectation should be far greater than municipal ones, even for a team that has tons of fans outside the GTA. But the excruciating daily pressure from long-suffering Toronto fans, the daily "What happened?" questions from national and local media, and the ghosts of 1967 always hovering make playing in Toronto a unique experience.
Meanwhile, Senators fans might also be changing their tune on Marner. After wearing the blue Leaf for as long as he did in the Battle of Ontario, the dislike came honestly. Of course, some will never be able to set that aside.
But for many Canadians, like Stone and former NHL goalie Roberto Luongo, as long as Mitch Marner keeps coming up big for the red Maple Leaf, that's all they care about.
And hey, if it rubs salt in Toronto's wounds at the same time, that's a price they're willing to pay.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:
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