Canada coach Jon Cooper makes his feelings known about having $65.4M Leafs forward on 4 Nations Face-Off roster

Team Canada coach Jon Cooper is excited to have Mitch Marner on his 4 Nations Face-Off roster. Marner has been strong for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

He has 14 goals and 48 assists, with 62 points in 46 games and is leading the Leafs in points and assists. Cooper, who has coached Marner in the 2017 IIHF World Championship, said that he's a huge fan of the player.

“I’m a huge Mitch Marner fan.” Cooper said, per NHL.com, mentioning that Marner’s game has grown since then.

Marner and Cooper met after Marner’s rookie season in 2016-17. Marner had 61 points (19 goals, 42 assists) in 77 games, following which he joined Team Canada at the 2017 World Championship. He scored 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 10 games. Canada won a silver medal in that tournamet.

Cooper said that Marner has become more confident and has a stronger presence on the ice.

“Probably confidence and swag,” Cooper said. “He's always had it, but you see it in how he plays. He’s always had it in him, but I think he's let it out a little bit more, and in a good way.

“He's not showing off. He does everything with a purpose. And he thinks the game, it’s amazing how he thinks. It’s elite," Cooper added.

Marner is playing the least year of hissix-year contract worth $65.4 million with Toronto. He has a cap hit of $10.9 million, which is expected to increase significantly in his next contract.

Marner is skilled and has displayed it after stepping up in captain Auston Matthew's absence earlier this seasn. In the Leafs' wins, he has 47 points in 28 games, with a rating of 27. In losses, he has 15 points in 18 games.

Over his career, Marner has played 622 games, scoring 208 goals and 493 assists for 701 points.

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Leafs forward Mitch Marner is excited to play in 4 Nations Face-Off

In the 2024-25 season, Marner is third in points among Canadian-born skaters, behind Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.

The 4 Nations Face-Off will include Canada, Sweden, Finland and the United States. Marner will join stars like McDavid, MacKinnon, and Crosby on Team Canada. The tournament will take place in Montreal and Boston from Feb. 12 to 20.

Marner is excited about playing for Canada.

“For sure it will be different,” Marner said, per NHL.com.

“That’s something you appreciate when the entire country comes together, and we become one nation, one team. ...That’s something that’s really cool and something we all appreciate.”

For now, Marner is focused to help the Maple Leafs win.