"He's a coward" "Softest guy in the league": Fans react to Mitch Marner's media restrictions at charity event amid frustrating contract speculations

Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner restricted media questions at his charity event on Thursday and Friday. The Marner Assist Foundation, now in its sixth year, was the focus.

NHL insider David Alter tweeted:

"Mitch Marner is doing media rounds for his Marner Assist Foundation today, a great charity now in its 6th year. This year, though, has been quite different as far as interviews go. No #Leafs questions permitted. Here is the interview he did with CTV this hour."

Marner, in the last year of his six-year contract, signed in 2019, avoided questions about the Maple Leafs. This decision led to mixed reactions from fans. Some fans appreciated his focus on the charity. Others were critical, with one fan writing:

"Softest guy in the league."

"He's a coward," a fan said.

"So it begins....Wonder if he gets boo'd in game 1 of the regular season," another fan said.

Marner's contract situation is a hot topic. The Leafs face salary cap issues, and his future is uncertain. Some fans believe that by limiting questions, Marner might be trying to avoid added pressure. However, some NHL fans tweeted in Marner's support:

"It’s a charity event and y’all trying to make it about your clickbait narratives. Give him a break," a fan said.

"Can you blame him?! He’s been vilified on the daily since they were eliminated in round one. He’s doing good work here, and that should be the focus," another fan voiced their support.

"As tough as I am on Marner I agree it's not the time to be answering season questions. This is a charity event that he donates his time to. This is the person not the player. People need to separate the two," a fan said.

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Mitch Marner discusses Marner Assist Foundation with CTV reporter

The Marner Assist Foundation helps children and youth through various programs. Mitch Marner's dedication to his foundation remains clear as he told a reporter:

"Yeah, today's event... So there's four different pads going on, four different events, and your team runs through all four pads, all four events. And at the end of the event, you get marked for your score, so there's a harder shot of relay race and fastest skater, and then there's a little scrimmage pad.

"So at the end of it all, whoever the winner is of the total event of the day, just come out and skate with me and the other pros for a little bit of the warm up of our three on three game."

When asked about the growth of the event in recent years, Mitch Marner replied:

"Oh, massively. I mean... This is our 6th year. You know, that's kind of the really exciting thing, just seeing it grow every year, getting bigger and bigger.

"Well, I always knew I wanted to do something in the community to help out. I mean, I've been born here, I've been raised here. This is my home. So I've been lucky enough and graceful enough that I've gotten a spotlight around me now being in this market, and I want to do something special with it."

Mitch Marner is positive about the attention his charity event has been getting. He hopes to continue the charity work and feels grateful to be able to do something for a good cause.