Mitch Marner's agent reveals "dangerous environment" in Toronto endangered ex-Leafs forward's family's safety

Mitch Marner's sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights preceded and succeeded a lot of hockey drama. The Toronto Maple Leafs were disappointed to see a homegrown talent leave Ontario for the US market, but the move was apparently prompted by years of pressure.

According to Marner's agent Darren Ferris, the Leafs' relative lack of success in the playoffs led to Marner, a Toronto-native, becoming a target for online trolls. Marner racked up 63 points in 70 games, but. Toronto managed just two second-round appearances in nine years.

On "100% Hockey with Millard and Shannon," Ferris said Marner's decision to sign an eight-year $96 million deal with Vegas had a lot to do with his family's safety.

"Well, one part people don't always see is the toll the social media mainstream coverage can take on a player and their family," Ferris said (1:00). "Mitch went through years of that at the end of every season instead of being able to breathe and reset, and his family were bracing for the storm.

"The negativity, the blame, the hate, it was just directed at him and spilled over to other people closest to him. That creates a dangerous environment, and there were even times where police had to be involved. Through it all, Mitch showed incredible strength.

"But at the end of the day, he's more than a hockey player. He's a son, a brother, and now a new father to a young boy. And protecting that side of him has always been just as important as negotiating the contracts."

Some reports detailed that Mitch Marner's lawn had been vandalized, with fans throwing garbage after a particular playoff exit. His family was reportedly subjected to numerous verbal assaults and he also had to deal with a carjacking incident in 2022. These incidents allegedly left a sour taste in the former Maple Leafs forward's mouth.

Ferris added that Marner had made up his mind to sign with Vegas and avoided sitting down with other teams, as he found a sense of security in the less-scrutinizing hockey market in Las Vegas.

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Darren Ferris doesn't detail all behind-the-scenes details that forced Mitch Marner's decision

Darren Ferris said that Mitch Marner's frustration had built up over the years. He referenced the Mike Babcock incident when a rookie Marner was asked to rank his teammates' work ethic.

"I think it accumulated over the years," Ferris said. "This wasn't something that was just new. This was going way back and then going through the Mike Babcock fiasco. And there were other things that are not public I'm not going to bring out. And it was just constant negativity and misinformation in the public. And you can't blame the fans.

"They react to what they hear, and sometimes it's misinformation. And we really couldn't go out and attack every message that was out there that was incorrect. And you just give those people credibility. So it just creates a bigger storm. So it was difficult. It was difficult to manage. It was difficult to get through."

It remains to be seen how Mitch Marner performs in Vegas. All eyes will be on him as he aims to lead the Golden Knights on a deep playoff run.