Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner on becoming a new dad: 'Incredible moment'
'My son was lucky enough, smart enough, don’t come during a hockey game, or a hockey day.'
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Happy birthday Mitch Marner, indeed.
On Monday, the day that the Maple Leafs star turned 28, he had already received the best present possible.
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Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner on becoming a new dad: 'Incredible moment' Back to video
After Marner and his wife Stephanie became parents on Sunday morning with the birth of their son Miles Daniel, the right winger was back at work, hours ahead of Game 1 of the second round against the Florida Panthers.
“Really special moment, incredible moment, something that is hard to explain,” Marner said of becoming a dad. “As a parent, I think everyone feels it.
“My wife was an absolute beast through it all. She was so impressive to watch, what a woman’s body can do and how much strength they have. Being her cheerleader for two days, it was something really special to be a part of. I’m a lucky guy for sure.”
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How would Marner go about putting a cap on his birthday on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena?
“That’s a good question,” Marner said with a smile. “I don’t know. Just going to try to go out there and play hockey and win a hockey game and do my thing.
“We have a lot of faith in this group. It has been a pretty special birthday, with everything going on in the last 24-48 hours.
“It’s going to be one to remember for a long time regardless, just for what happened the last 48. Very grateful and very lucky.”
Marner acknowledged that the impending birth was on his mind during the first round against the Ottawa Senators. It didn’t really impact his play, though, as he had one goal and seven assists as the Leafs eliminated the Sens in six games.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” Marner said. “You never know when labour is going to hit.
“We were prepared if something did happen in Ottawa that there was a way for me to get to Toronto quickly and, lucky enough, it was a close-enough flight.
“Family always comes first. If something happened during that series, during a hockey game with my wife going into labour, I was going to go and join her.
“My son was lucky enough, smart enough, don’t come during a hockey game, or a hockey day. I was fortunate. The plan worked out. We wanted to try to end that series and try to get the baby coming before the next one started.”
Leafs coach Craig Berube was counting on nothing less out of Marner in Game 1 than what the player usually provides.
“I expect the same game he always plays,” Berube said. “He’s in a good spot. A lot of good things that are happening in his life and positive things. He’s ready to go for the second round now, coming off the first round, and baby and birthday, a lot of good stuff.”
Panthers coach Paul Maurice had a good line about Marner becoming a dad.
“It’s not on the pre-scout board — hey, you have to watch the guy, the new dads,” Maurice said. “We’ve had a whole bunch (of players become dads) this year and there’s certainly a lightness when they come to the rink. That perspective does change, for sure. It changes everything in such positive way.”
Marner, like captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and the rest of the Leafs, will have to take another step up in their game from what they accomplished in the first round.
“Anytime you’re playing the Stanley Cup champions you are going to be the underdog, right?” Berube said. “They’ve proven they’re a great team over the last few years.
“We’re a good team, too. We’re approaching this business-like, we’ve got to go out and do our job and play the way we can.”
Maurice noted a difference in the Leafs under Berube.
“Personnel would be one thing,” Maurice said. “Quite a bit different-looking team than they were on different names on the back.
“I think there’s more patience in their game. Maybe in the past, it was an attack mindset offensively all time and now they are more patient. They will put more pucks deep. They will be more patient with the pucks out. I would say maybe more of a mature game.”
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