Golden Knights’ Mitch Marner elaborates on ‘dark days’ comment after Stanley Cup Final loss

The Vegas Golden Knights lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. But the whole run was an opportunity for their newest acquisition to smash the playoff demons.

Mitch Marner was phenomenal for the Golden Knights, ending the reputation he built up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before the Stanley Cup Final, Marner said he would reveal more about his “dark days” if Vegas won. While they did not win, he still went into what happened.

I asked Mitch Marner if he could elaborate on the “dark days” comment he made during Media Day.

Poignant response about mental health: pic.twitter.com/adEHrBsWla

— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) June 16, 2026

“Mental health is a super important thing to me, it really is. I’ve been trying to take care of my mental health probably for the last five years or so. I’m really thankful that I had some unbelievable teammates around me in Toronto that I was able to talk to, express myself,” Marner said, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Marner was often blamed for the Maple Leafs’ playoff failures during his time there. He was not alone, but he often got the worst of it. In Marner’s nine seasons with Toronto, the team made nine playoff appearances and won just two series. Marner scored 13 goals and 63 points in 70 games with the Maple Leafs.

“There were some really dark moments there. The thought of playing hockey was really tough in a lot of ways. It was really a dark kinda vibe, dark hole in a way. And I’m very thankful, like I said, to have people around me, teammates, to ask me how I was doing and knew I was going through something to talk to.”

Mitch Marner quells playoff demons in first year with Golden Knights

Before his contract expired last offseason, Marner’s rights were traded to the Golden Knights. He signed an eight-year deal and paid it off quickly. Marner scored 80 points in 81 regular-season games and 29 points in 22 playoff games.

“A lot of us are addicted to the social media aspect of things. You’re seeing a lot of comments, seeing a lot of things about yourself. I’ve been trying to check myself out of that the last 2-3 years…that’s helped in a lot of ways.”

Things did not work out for Marner with the Maple Leafs. An Ontario native, he was drafted fourth overall in 2014 and immediately teamed up with Auston Matthews to create a great 1-2 punch. But it never worked out, and now Marner is chasing a ring in Vegas.

Marner’s time in the Maple Leafs was defined by the playoff failures. One year into his Golden Knights tenure, he is already a dominant playoff force.

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