PARADISE, Nfld. — Mitch Marner is back with the Maple Leafs, hoping to escape a social media flare-up in the closing days of his contract talks.
The millennial Marner usually has fun with social media platforms, but as the talks dragged on, the trolls came out.
“I expected stuff to come at (agent) Darren Ferris and myself,” Marner told TSN on Saturday. “But I saw a couple of comments about my father (Paul, who had taken an active part in negotiations) that no one is going to like seeing or reading. It was pretty disappointing to see some of the people express themselves about my family and my family name.
“Social media has its benefits, it’s good for certain things … but people express their hate for people. It’s something a lot of athletes go through on social media.”
During a Saturday afternoon press conference here, Marner commented on the role his family and agent played in the protracted discussions.
“They’ve been with me through everything in my hockey career. Same with Darren, he’s been with me a long time and all three, together with my brother, they’re someone I can depend on to ask those heavy questions and get their honest opinions.
“They’ve meant the world to me throughout this kind of discussion. Without them, who knows what would’ve happened. But I’m glad it’s over, it’s time to get to work and have fun with it.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
