Mitch Marner signs with Vegas Golden Knights, shares his goals and journey from Toronto Maple Leafs in first press conference

Mitch Marner officially signed with the Vegas Golden Knights after spending his first nine NHL seasons with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He announced starting this new adventure at his first press conference on Tuesday, where he openly admitted why he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, and how becoming a father altered his priorities on and off the ice.

Mitch Marner greets new adventure with Vegas Golden Knights after dramatic Toronto Maple Leafs exit

After nearly a decade of blue and white, Mitch Marner was introduced as a Vegas Golden Knights member—his second NHL team and one that had had its eye on the skilled forward for a long period. Speaking with local media in an interview, the 27-year-old discussed his path from Toronto to Vegas, the decision being based on personal growth as well as a desire to win. "Last year in Toronto or two years ago, really, we didn't win, obviously.

We didn't do what we wanted to do. Stuff started kind of going a little north, a little south. We didn't know what was going to happen. A lot of trade rumors all last summer and didn't know what was going to happen in that regard either. As soon as the year started up, we were ready to commit and play hockey and see what would happen. But at the same time, we're willing to take it to the distance and kind of told Toronto that was our plan," Marner shared.

"And I was so grateful to play there for nine years. I said it at my end-of-the-year interview there that I took a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto who was forever grateful to be able to wear a Maple Leaf jersey and forever to be able to play in front of some of the greats that ever wore that jersey. But just now it's being a family man, a father, we thought our time was ready to look somewhere else and find a new home and find a new place to grow our family.

And like I said, I'm so grateful to be here and so happy to be a part of this team."

While other franchises have been discussed, the Vegas Golden Knights stood out from the crowd as the ideal choice. Conversations with established players like Ryan Reaves and Max Pacioretty painted a positive picture of life off the Strip. The winning culture of the team—which included a 2023 Stanley Cup title—was important as well. "You want to be in a place where you want to win.

That's the whole goal of why we do this. You want to hoist that Stanley Cup. This team has shown that they can do it. I'm lucky enough to now hopefully bring another piece in to help bring it back here. I think we put the most pressure on ourselves as hockey players. That's how we play the game. We want to win every single night, you want to win every battle, you want to win anything you can.

All the time," he added.

Fatherhood shifts Marner's view as he starts new life in Las Vegas

The main reason Marner made the switch was the birth of his son, Miles.

Having a kid brought him into a new universe of priorities—one that weighed stability and community against on-ice ambition. "I was fortunate enough to have a lot of guys in Toronto that had children that gave me the rundown multiple weeks beforehand. But as a kid, I guess in a way, or as a person, you just sometimes think, oh, it's not you know, it'll be different or something, and then it happens, and you're thankful for the lessons that other people taught you throughout the way. But your mind definitely changes to being a family man than just a hockey player," he said.

Also read: Mitch Marner traded to Golden Knights in $96 Million deal ahead of NHL free agencyMitch Marner's signing with the Vegas Golden Knights is more than changing jerseys—it's a personal reboot, a professional re-launch, and a step forward on the path of life.