Vetoed Toronto Maple Leafs trade could've made Marner a Stanley Cup champion

Toronto sports fans love seeing former players flourish in a new environment, like former Raptors player OG Anunoby. That same support did not extend to Mitch Marner.

On Sunday, Marner and his Vegas Golden Knights were eliminated in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, falling 3-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ironically, Marner could have joined the Hurricanes a year ago, but refused to waive his no-movement clause.

Toronto reportedly attempted to trade Marner to Carolina in exchange for Finnish star Mikko Rantanen. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs approached Marner about waiving his no-movement clause, but he declined.

The trade would have helped the Leafs significantly, and as it turned out, Marner too. 

 

 

 

 

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Rantanen was eventually dealt to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks. Marner later landed with Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal involving Nicolas Roy.

Carolina went on to win the Stanley Cup, while Marner and the Golden Knights came up two games short.

Leafs fans quickly took to social media following the loss to point out the irony of him turning down an opportunity to join the eventual champions.

Several Leafs fans called it "poetic" on X, while others referred to it as "karma."

Marner vetoed a trade to the Hurricanes.

One year later, the Hurricanes beat him & Vegas in the Stanley Cup Final.

Poetic. pic.twitter.com/mg6aq7KS1G

— Maple Leafs Wave (@LeafsWave) June 15, 2026

To be fair, Marner did everything he could to help Vegas get to the Stanley Cup Finals. The 29-year-old led all skaters in playoff scoring with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists), though he was held off the scoresheet in the final two games of the series and was on the ice for all three Carolina goals in Game 6.

Marner spent nine seasons in Toronto, making the playoffs every year but never advancing past the second round.

After the Golden Knights clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Final, Marner told Sportsnet's Shawn McKenzie that he had experienced "dark times" during his hockey career.

When asked to elaborate on those times during Media Day, Marner said he would speak more about those experiences if his team won the Cup.

For anyone expecting a tell-all, we guess Leafs fans will now have to wait a little longer. It's a feeling we're used to.