Leafs nemesis Marchand trolls Toronto fans for running Mitch Marner out of town

Brad Marchand opted to twist the knife a little more ahead of the Florida Panthers' matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. 

The notorious Leafs killer has been a thorn in the side of Toronto fans for upwards of a decade now. He has helped eliminate the Leafs from the playoffs year after year and has drummed up a reputation as one of the most hated NHL players in Toronto. 

It would be almost blasphemous to see Marchand join the Leafs, but according to him, that nearly happened last summer. In a media availability ahead of Tuesday's game, the 37-year-old revealed that he nearly signed in Toronto as a free agent. 

"It was between Florida and Toronto, where I was gonna go," Marchand said. "I didn't think it was gonna be possible to re-sign with Florida, I really didn't."

“As a group they compete the right way. It’s unfortunate the fans ran Marner out of town, that’s a huge impact for their group. He’s a point a game player, that hurts.”

Brad Marchand on almost joining the Leafs and the impact of losing Marner. pic.twitter.com/bqHkixH5wa

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2026

Marchand shocked the hockey world when he inked a massive six-year, $31.5 million contract with the Panthers over the summer. The term on the deal was especially surprising, considering Marchand is set to turn 38 in May. 

Florida was also up against a tough cap situation, having to re-sign all of Marchand, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad to new deals. Somehow, they managed to get all three locked up, robbing the Leafs of bringing in their biggest enemy. 

Marchand wasn't done putting salt in the wound for Leafs fans. In the same scrum, he talked about the Mitch Marner situation and how it was a big misstep for Toronto to let him go for nothing in free agency.  

"It's unfortunate the fans ran Marner out of town, that's a huge impact for their group," Marchand said. "He's a point-a-game player, that hurts."

The Leafs are in desperate need of a player like Marchand on the team. Though fans hate playing against him and are likely scarred by years of heartbreak at his hand, there is no doubt that he would have eventually been welcomed with open arms if he decided to join the Maple Leafs. 

Now, fans can do nothing but wonder about what could have been.