Marner to play Game 1 after birth of first child

TORONTO – Mitch Marner took on a cheerleading role over the weekend.

The Maple Leafs winger will be back in the middle of the action Monday night.

Marner was on the ice for Toronto’s optional morning skate and will suit up in Game 1 of his team’s second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Florida Panthers after he and wife Stephanie welcomed their first child.

“Really special moment … it’s hard to explain,” Marner said at Scotiabank Arena some 26 hours after his son, Miles, was born. “As a parent, I think everyone feels it, but it’s something really cool.”

The forward, who turned 28 on Monday, said he’s doing well on the sleep front despite spending Sunday night at the hospital as a family.

“I was just trying to support my wife as much as possible,” Marner said. “Just tried to help out as much as I could.”

Leafs head coach Craig Berube said he expects the player to have jump despite all the off-ice action as Toronto pivots to its next post-season opponent after disposing of the Ottawa Senators in the Battle of Ontario 4-2.

“He’s in a good spot,” said the veteran bench boss. “A lot of good things that are happening in his life — positive things.”

Toronto defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who won the Cup with the Panthers last June, welcomed a newborn before those playoffs.

“One of the best things that can happen to you, right?” he said. “It helped me get away from the hockey in between games.”

Florida head coach Paul Maurice, meanwhile, said his team could run a daycare with all the recent additions.

“There’s certainly a lightness when they come to the rink,” he said. “That perspective does change, for sure, especially all of us who’ve been through it. It changes everything in such a positive way.”

Marner said there was a plan in place in case Stephanie went into labour during the first-round series with the Senators.

“That was on our mind quite a bit,” he said. “You never know when labour is going to hit. We were prepared if something did happen in Ottawa so that there was a way for me to get to Toronto quickly. Family always comes first.”

Marner joked Miles got the memo.

“My son was lucky enough — smart enough — to know don’t come on a hockey day,” he said with a smile. “We wanted to try to end that series and try to get the baby coming out before the next one started.

“It worked out.”

SITTING DOWN

Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad will miss Monday as he concludes a two-game suspension handed down by the NHL for his blow to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the last round. Florida disposed of its instate rival in five.

STOLARZ SHINES

Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz served as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup during last season’s Cup run. Maurice said he saw a change in the netminder’s game partway through the schedule that’s continued into these playoffs.

“One of the wonderful personalities in the game that you cheer for,” said the coach. “We hope we can find a way to get a few by him, but good for him. He did it right by his teammates.

“Great personality, really team-first guy. You love seeing those guys have success.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.

&copy 2025 The Canadian Press