Maple Leafs make pathetic decision as part of Mitch Marner's return

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hosting the Vegas Golden Knights and their former star winger Mitch Marner. The player that abandoned them and in so many ways, told them that he did not care about the team or fans, has made his return to the city he used to call home.

And it was expected to be a big event. Full of fans booing and heckling him whenever he touched the puck, a video tribute with a mixed reaction -- it was the standard beats of even the most controversial player returning to the home of their former team. But what was not expected at all is for the Maple Leafs themselves to almost celebrate that Marner left them.

As spotted by Golden Knights beat reporter Danny Webster, as part of the big ticket items that fans can get on the concourse, is a Mitch Marner jersey. It would be perfectly fine if it was a Leafs jersey, them trying to cash in on the notable return. But it is so much worse than that.

Maple Leafs had Golden Knights signed Mitch Marner jersey for sale

The Maple Leafs were selling a Mitch Marner Vegas Golden Knights jersey. Oh, and it was signed by the player.

This is abhorrant. This is abysmal. This leaves the most sour taste in your mouth as a Leafs fan. Your own team -- your team? -- went up to the player that left last summer and knew he wanted to leave Toronto for years but denied trades that would leave the team in a good place instead of an empty shell of the era they once had, and asked him to sign a jersey for them to sell. It's pathetic.

It feels absolutely wild that the Leafs would decide to do this. While normally it is some third-party company that puts on this memorabilia section so it isn't from the team themselves, that sure is a RealSports logo up in the corner. It certainly seems like the Maple Leafs had control of this -- at least some part of the organization whether it was some entry-level marketing team or games operations staff, there was someone.

Just terrible.