The Toronto Maple Leafs' history with former homegrown star Mitch Marner was brought back into focus last week by the player's agent, Darren Ferris.
Appearing on The PuckPedia Hockey Show, Ferris stated that his client was never "protected by his organization" during his time in Toronto. He listed Marner not receiving bonuses a decade ago or never being considered for the team's captaincy among his grievances. Long-time Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons shared his initial thoughts on the matter in his renowned Sunday column.
In a recent follow-up interview with host E.J. Hradek on the Toronto Sports Rush podcast, Simmons was asked to elaborate on the matter, and he didn't hold back.
Steve Simmons Trashes Darren Ferris's Comments on Toronto Sports Rush
Hradek questioned why Ferris would relitigate his issues with Toronto a year after Marner left, adding it didn't make any sense to do it now, so publicly. Simmons described the Marner story as "dead" and over in Toronto until Ferris's comments. He then recognized the great nine seasons Marner had in Toronto, being among the top-five paid players in the NHL and among the top-ten scorers. "I mean, it was a pretty darn good run, and they can't let this thing go," Simmons said.
"I mean, it was a pretty darn good run, and they can not let this thing go."Steve SImmons on Marner and his agent
Simmons criticized Ferris for mentioning the mistreatment, and Marner for not talking about it, suggesting there is no story to talk about. He added, "I would love to be mistreated the way he was mistreated. I would love to have that salary coming in, and nine years of incredible success. The first hundred-point winger in team history and two first all-star teams."
The Toronto Sun scribe wasn't buying the so-called lack of protection from the Leafs. He then listed on-ice protection from players such as Ryan Reeves and Wayne Simmonds, playing on the team's first line and playing more forward minutes than anyone but Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl during his time in Toronto, as benefits Marner enjoyed.
"They put him in every situation to try and succeed. On the first power play, on the first line with the best center. It's baffling to me. It's mindboggling," an agitated Simmons explained. He advised Marner and Ferris to put all this "other stuff" to rest and enjoy his successful fresh start in Vegas.
Simmons then mentioned the apparent sources of contention between Marner, his camp, and Auston Matthews. The first was Marner not receiving the bonuses in his rookie contract, while Matthews did, as Simmons noted, something that happened four general managers ago. The Toronto Sun reporter questioned why Ferris would risk his reputation and put himself out there to look "absolutely foolish" by airing these issues, especially since Marner accumulated much wealth during his years as a Leaf.
Hradek was also in disbelief that a long-ago signing bonus would be a problem, considering it is a small percentage of the money Marner made in his career. He couldn't understand why that small slight would be such an issue years later, but did note that it was Ferris speaking, not Marner, implying it might be more of an issue for the agent.
Simmons related a story that further illustrated the potential envy of Matthews by Marner and his family. "There's something odd about what I'll call the Marner group," started Simmons. He called Ferris, Marner, and his family a "very strange mix of people who do everything in the world to supposedly protect Mitch." He suggested they do everything in his best interest, but they very often make him look bad instead.
He mentioned Marner's father doing that for years in Toronto in his conversations with certain reporters and other people. "He always thought Mitch was getting screwed by somebody over something," Simmons bluntly stated.
Simmons then relayed a story. Marner's father invited many people to watch a Leafs game, with a large number of them meeting post-game, many sporting "Marner" jerseys, and many wearing "Matthews" jerseys. Paul Marner was apparently upset with so many Matthews jerseys being worn. Simmons said that the Marner family spent much time relaying negative press clippings to Marner during his Toronto years.
The Simmons Says columnist finished by calling the family's behaviour "like high school." He compared the Leaf-Marner relationship to a bad breakup in high school, and when it doesn't work out, you are brokenhearted. "In this case, it's ten years later, and he still hasn't gotten over, you know, hasn't gotten over the signing of this thing," said Simmons.
One thing is certain from the Maple Leafs-Marner relationship. The back-and-forth rhetoric is pointless. It's time for all parties involved to move on.
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