Maple Leafs fans had a complex, but ultimately respectful, response to Mitch Marner's return to Scotiabank Arena on Friday night as the Vegas Golden Knights faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner, who was traded to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal last summer after playing nine seasons with the Leafs, was met with a mixture of boos and cheers, a reaction that underscored the city's complicated relationship with its former star.

Anticipation had been building for Marner's return, with many wondering how the Toronto faithful would react to seeing him in a Golden Knights jersey. Last week, Maple Leafs fans in Las Vegas booed Marner, offering a small taste of what might await him in Toronto. Upon his return to Scotiabank Arena ice for warmups, Marner was greeted with loud boos. Despite the initial jeers, the atmosphere shifted during a video tribute played in the first period. While the boos initially drowned out the tribute, cheers gradually rose and eventually won out, creating a মিশ্র crowd reaction.

Marner acknowledged the passionate fanbase and expressed his appreciation for the love and support he received during the tribute video. "Passionate fan base here. They love their team. It was interesting the whole night, and I really appreciate the love and support through the tribute video," Marner said. "I've still got a lot of love for these fans…I was trying to just take it in and not get emotional".

The Maple Leafs ultimately fell to the Golden Knights by a score of 6-3. However, the story of the night revolved around the fans' reception of Marner.

The display of respect from a significant portion of the fanbase was seen as a classy move by some observers. Stone, a teammate of Marner, said, "They gave [Marner] a great ovation that I firmly believe he deserved. He put in nine good years, but then once the puck dropped, the competitiveness came out". He further added that the fans tipped their cap to what Marner did for the organization, which was great to see.

The situation was not unlike John Tavares' return to Long Island to play against the Islanders in 2019, where he was met with jeers and even had snakes thrown on the ice. However, Tavares anticipated that Marner would not receive the same reception.

While some fans may not have forgotten Marner's departure, many chose to acknowledge his contributions to the team during his tenure. As one observer noted, it was time for everyone to move on from the saga, with both sides agreeing to disagree and move forward.