"Completely unacceptable" - NHL analyst weighs in on Ryan Reaves' comment regarding Mitch Marner's treatment from Toronto fan base

Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1 after a strong regular season performance, scoring 102 points. He was moved following a sign-and-trade deal, with Marner inking an eight-year $96 million contract and dealt to Vegas. He left the Toronto Maple Leafs after limited playoff success.

After the trade, Leafs forward Ryan Reaves spoke about how Marner was treated by some fans.

"I think they can be a little ruthless to him," Reaves said on Tuesday(1:42:55), via the "Cam & Strick Podcast." "I guess just because he's the hometown guy and sometimes fans want to point fingers at somebody."

He explained that some fans are loyal, but others can be harsh when the team doesn’t win.

"I think there's the ones who just want to win so bad that they're willing to drag anybody through the dirt, Reaves said.

NHL analyst Aaron Korolnek commented on Thursday about Reaves’ remarks. He said the situation went beyond normal fan criticism.

“The way he was treated by certain fans — again, a very small portion of the fan base — the fact that his address was leaked on social media, people are doing things to his front lawn," Korolnek said, via "First Up." "That’s just completely unacceptable.”

He added that while this may not be the only reason Marner left, it likely played a role.

“You cannot tell me it didn’t add to it," Korolnek said. "It had to.”

Korolnek stressed that no player should have to deal with fans showing up at their home or targeting their family.

“If your address is out there and lunatics are going over your house and doing that type of nonsense to you and your family and your property," Korolnek said. "I mean, I can’t imagine that’s something that he would particularly enjoy.”

Mitch Marner mentioned not winning the Stanley Cup in his exit statement

Mitch Marner shared a message after he was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights. He moved out of Toronto after spending nine seasons with the team. Marner said leaving Toronto was not easy, as it's the city where he grew up and started loving hockey.

"Wearing the Maple Leaf on my chest wasn't just about playing for a team, it was about representing my home," Marner said in a statement on July 1.

He thanked the fans for their passion and support over the years. Marner added that he always tried to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto; however, he failed to do so.

"When I was drafted, all I wanted was to help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto," Marner said. "That was always the goal, and I came up short."

Marner also admitted that it was hard to accept, but he gave everything he had.