'I'm Building To Be Better': How Vegas' Mitch Marner Shook Off The Label He Had In Toronto

RALEIGH, N.C. – Media Day at the Stanley Cup final is the time when reporters get to fill their tape recorders with as much color as possible before the grind of the final games begins.

We all have our queries, but one of the biggest questions of the season has really already been answered: could Vegas' Mitch Marner shake the label he had in Toronto of not stepping up in the playoffs?

Well, given that he's one of the top candidates to win the Conn Smythe right now as the NHL's top scorer in the post-season and has indeed scored points in crucial games, consider the label shaken.

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RALEIGH, N.C.- With the Stanley Cup Final beginning in just over 24 hours, Raleigh, North Carolina, has become the temporary hockey mecca of the world. On Monday, hundreds of journalists, broadcasters, and other media members flocked to the Lenovo Center for the annual pre-Final media availability day.

At 5-on-5, the pair has been bolstered by center William Karlsson, who missed a huge swath of the regular season due to injury (forcing Marner to play uncharacteristically at center) and is back proving why he's a Golden Knights staple.

" 'Karl' brings a lot," Marner said. "I got to see him early in the year, and he was amazing. Then of course he had the injury. Since he's been back, it's been great watching how responsible he is with the puck and how responsible he is on our line. He makes a lot of plays that make things easy for his wingers or D-men."

Now it's time for the brightest spotlight.

Sure, Marner has plenty of experience in that arena due to his time in Toronto, where the media scrums are counted not in the number of reporters, but in the number of rows of reporters, but this series is for all the marbles.

Carolina fans will have extra motivation to boo Marner since he apparently nixed a trade to the Hurricanes last year, but in stereotypical pro athlete form, Marner wasn't going to pour gasoline on that fire.

"No, I'm not a guy who lives in the past," he said. "I've spoken about that a lot. I'm here in the moment and extremely excited to get going."

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In a league where only the strong survive, the Vegas Golden Knights have earned the reputation of being a team willing to become stronger by any means necessary. They aren't shy about adding to their team, whether by means of signing a prize free agent like Alex Pietrangelo or taking a swing at a top trade target as they did with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone.

It also helps that he's in a Vegas room where he can be part of a great collective.

"He's a real laid-back guy, a lot of fun," said defenseman Noah Hanifin. "He has a great time at the rink every day, and he's enjoyed his time in Vegas. He's been a huge part of our success and a great teammate."

As for the past label of being a player who didn't step up at the right times, Marner has shown that he's on another level now, and the proof is in the points. And the penalty-killing. And the winning.

"I've always trusted myself," he said. "I've always known I could do special things no matter where you are in the season or the playoffs. I've been put in situations I've been scoring in, so it's going in the right direction. I'm building to be better, and I want to be better."

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 3:57 PM.