We all know Brad Marchand is not afraid of getting under anyone’s skin — and that includes Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
In true Marchand fashion, he decided to stoke the flames ahead of the Florida Panthers‘ visit to Scotiabank Arena.
He told reporters Tuesday that while he believes the Maple Leafs compete the right way now compared to the past, “It’s unfortunate the fans ran (Mitch) Marner out of town. I mean, that’s a huge impact for their group. He’s a point-per-game player — that hurts.”
In their first season without Marner, the Maple Leafs have struggled, sitting second-last in the Atlantic Division and third-last in the Eastern Conference at the halfway mark.
Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by Toronto on July 1 and has recorded 40 points (nine goals and 31 assists) in his first 40 games with his new club.
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Marchand also revealed that he nearly became a Maple Leaf, saying that leading up to free agency this past summer, “It was between Florida and Toronto where I was going to go.”
He later added, “(Toronto’s) a great team, great organization, but once the opportunity to sign (in Florida) came up, it was kind of no question it’s where I wanted to be.”
Marchand, 37, signed a six-year, $31.5-million contract extension with the Panthers on June 30 after being sent to Florida by the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline.
However, Marchand said he was not initially sure staying with the two-time Stanley Cup champions would be an option due to the club’s salary-cap situation.
The Halifax native has 46 points (23 goals and 23 assists) in 40 games this season.
