Mitch Marner spent the past weekend in a cheering role. Now the Toronto Maple Leafs winger is set to return to the thick of the action on Monday night.
Marner participated in the team`s optional morning skate in Toronto and will play in Game 1 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Florida Panthers, having just welcomed his first child with his wife Stephanie.
“A truly special moment… it`s hard to put into words,” Marner commented at Scotiabank Arena, roughly 26 hours after the birth of his son, Miles. “As a parent, I think everyone feels it, but it`s something really incredible.”
The forward, who turned 28 on Monday, mentioned he slept well despite spending Sunday night at the hospital with his family.
“I was simply trying to support my wife as much as possible,” Marner stated. “Just tried to help out however I could.”
Leafs head coach Craig Berube expressed confidence that the player will be energized despite the off-ice events, as Toronto shifts focus to its next playoff opponent after defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in the first round.
“He`s in a good place,” the veteran coach remarked. “Many good things are happening in his life—positive things.”
Toronto defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who won the Cup with the Panthers last June, also experienced welcoming a newborn just before those playoffs.
“One of the best things that can happen to you, right?” he said. “It helped me get away from hockey between games.”
Florida head coach Paul Maurice, meanwhile, joked his team could open a daycare with all the recent fatherhood additions among the players.
“There`s definitely a lightness when they come to the rink,” he observed. “That perspective certainly changes, especially for all of us who`ve gone through it. It changes everything in such a positive way.”
Marner shared that a contingency plan was ready in case Stephanie went into labor during the first-round series against the Senators.
“That was on our minds quite a bit,” he admitted. “You never know when labor is going to happen. We were prepared if something occurred in Ottawa so I could get back to Toronto quickly. Family always comes first.”
Marner lightheartedly suggested Miles got the message.
“My son was lucky enough—smart enough—to know not to arrive on a hockey day,” he said with a smile. “We wanted to try and end that series and get the baby to arrive before the next one started. It worked out.”
Toronto sports enthusiasts will vividly recall Fred VanVleet`s performance during the 2019 NBA Championship run after his son was born mid-playoffs.
This prompted Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to quip in 2020, “Look at Fred VanVleet, he started making all those shots when he had his kid. Maybe that happens to me also. Who knows?”
Puck drop for Game 1 is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
ROSTER NOTES
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will be absent on Monday, serving the final game of a two-game suspension from the NHL for a hit to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the previous round. Florida eliminated their in-state rival in five games.
STOLARZ`S PERFORMANCE
Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz served as Sergei Bobrovsky`s backup during last season`s Cup run. Maurice commented that he noticed a shift in the goalie`s play partway through the schedule that has continued into these playoffs.
“He`s one of the great personalities in the game that you root for,” the coach stated. “We hope we can find a way to get a few past him, but good for him. He did right by his teammates.”
“Great personality, truly a team-first guy. You love seeing those guys succeed.”
