When Mitch Marner arrived at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday to sign his three-year NHL entry-level contract, new Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello was waiting.
Both shared a laugh about their meeting a month ago at the draft in Florida when Lamoriello was still GM of the New Jersey Devils and Marner had yet to be picked fourth overall by Toronto. They had a 15-minute meeting that morning, before Toronto made its pick the London Knights’ right winger/centre and the Devils followed at seventh with Sarnia centre Pavel Zacha.
“Lou said ‘I had to switch teams to finally get you,’” Marner said of the humourous exchange with his new boss.