Toronto columnist blasts Mitch Marner & agent for "spin-doctoring" claims of death threats, family's security concerns

Mitch Marner stunned the NHL world when he opened up about his troubling times with the passionate Toronto fanbase, just months after agreeing to a $96,000,000 sign-and-trade deal that took him away from his hometown to the Vegas Golden Knights.

In an interview with TSN's Mark Masters in August, the ex-Leafs star said his address was leaked online by a user, posing a threat to Marner and his family's safety. A full-time security team, consisting of former NHL security personnel, was posted outside his house.

Seasoned Toronto sports columnist Steve Simmons did not buy into Marner & his agent's story about the alleged death threats and home address leak being the reasons for his departure from the Maple Leafs.

In his column for the Toronto Sun, Simmons blasted the former Leafs star and his agent, writing:

"This was classic spin-doctoring — taking a piece of slight truth and stretching it to sell a narrative that isn’t necessarily believable."

Simmons wrote off Marner's story by comparing it to a fictional tale.

"(Marner's story) was, or is, believed by some who must also believe in fairy tales, that Marner’s life and that of his family was in danger because of his lack of playoff performance," wrote Simmons.

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Leafs "found nothing to be concerned about" when investigating online threats against Mitch Marner & his family

According to Steve Simmons, the Toronto Maple Leafs security team investigated the threats against Mitch Marner, concluding that they were limited to the online world and did not pose any real-life danger to the player and his family.

"They found nothing to be concerned about. They wonder now about the veracity of all that is being told," wrote Simmons.

In contrast to Simmons' report, Marner's agent Darren Ferris said there was an instance when the police were involved, after a death threat against Marner was tracked to a social media user in Oakville.

During his appearance on the "100% hockey" podcast, Ferris said,

"You can’t just say, ‘Ah, it’s just social media.’ Because if something happened, that would be the biggest regret you could ever have. So you’ve got to take every one of those seriously. And you know they attack him, his family, his father. The misinformation out there, it’s ridiculous.”