Mitch Marner speaks about return to Toronto: 'I'm going to try to enjoy it'

It's all anyone can talk about Friday when it comes to hockey in all of Southern Ontario. Mitch Marner is making his return to Toronto face his former Maple Leafs for the first time since he went ahead and signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, leaving behind his childhood team and abandoning a whole lot of fans with them.

It is maybe the most anticipated return of a former player in Toronto sports history this decade and certainly a date that many Leafs fans have circled on their calendar ever since the NHL schedule was released. But what about Marner?

The 28-year-old winger spoke with the media ahead of Friday's clash and he really wants to downplay any hype that this collision has.

Mitch Marner wants to calm the waters ahead of his return to Toronto

"I don't want to look back anymore. I don't want to look in the past," Marner said via TSN's Chris Johnston.

It would be very convenient for him if Leafs fans all had short-term memory loss and could only faintly remember just how scorned they were by his decision to leave, and instead replaced all of that with the times he scored a whole lot of points while wearing the blue and white. But instead, they will cascade so many boos onto the ice that it will feel impossible to hear his own thoughts.

But instead, Marner wants to make it just like any other game.

"I'm sure once warmup is over and the anthem starts going, your heart will beat a little faster. But I'm sure as soon as the puck drops, I’m just going to try to think of it as another game, another opportunity to go out there and try to win two points," Marner said via The Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

And while so many Leafs fans probably wish there wasn't going to be one, he will almost certainly have a video tribute. Marner predicts that he will feel emotional during it but a very complicated moment no doubt.

"That one, I'm trying not to think of too much," Marner said. "I’m sure it'll really hit once it starts going. I’m going to try to enjoy it, and then try to get back to hockey right away. I know it's going to be maybe a weird, cool, special moment all in one."

Sure, whatever. Maybe Marner won't even get to hear the video because of just how loud the crowd is going to be during all the highlights of him scoring some goals or making some creative assists on the jumbotron. If only they would also include all the terrible playoff performances and him speaking with players on other teams about signing with them in free agency, before his season even ended.

One has to wonder if this is going to be the loudest Scotiabank Arena will ever be and it's purely out of hatred for one player who completely abandoned and threw away an opportunity that he grew up dreaming of.