May 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) skates on the ice during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
May 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) skates on the ice during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in game two of the Western Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Vegas Golden Knights right winger Mitch Marner just made history. The Knights faced the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals series on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Marner’s play allowed the Knights to secure a significant advantage going into the third period.
The second period saw Marner score three goals in a matter of six minutes and 10 seconds. This gave the Knights a 4-0 lead going into the third, by the end of which the Hurricanes had once again equalized the score.
Mitch Marner came to the Knights after a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025, after nine seasons with Toronto. The winger was looking for a team change as his contract expired in 2025. He found a place in Vegas and reached the finals with them in his very first season.
Marner’s hat trick will go down in history as the fastest anyone has notched three goals in a Stanley Cup Finals game.
His newly established record beats that of Montreal Canadiens' Maurice Richard from 1957. In Game 1, Richard scored three goals in 6 minutes and 21 seconds in the second period.
After Tomáš Hertl scored the opening goal for the Knights at 10:26 in the second period, Mitch Marner's rain of goals gave the Knights a comfortable lead.
This is also the second time Marner has scored a hat trick in the 2026 Playoffs. In the second round of the 2026 Playoffs, the Knights faced the Anaheim Ducks. Game 3 saw Marner smash another three goals to lead Vegas to victory.
No doubt, Toronto fans are livid.
Maple Leafs Become Laughing Stock Following Mitch Marner’s Stint
It seems like Mitch Marner's fortunes have taken a turn since he left the Maple Leafs. After subpar stints with the Leafs since the 2016-17 season, his first season with the Golden Knights found him basking in Finals glory.
The fans took to social media to poke fun at the Maple Leafs after Marner’s historic hat trick on Saturday.
One fan praised Marner’s performance, stating how the Maple Leafs fans were not appreciative of his efforts.
“The same guy Leafs fans spent years calling overrated just cooked an entire period in the Finals. Toronto really fumbled the bag.”
Another fan pointed a finger at the media and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, blaming them for Marner’s trade.
“Toronto fans/media chased him out of town 🤣”
Indeed, reports suggest that Marner felt uncomfortable with the degree of scrutiny his family and he received from the Toronto media.
Another fan humorously compared Marner’s performance to a robbery of the game, writing, “That’s not a hat trick that’s a hat heist 😮💨”
One fan seemed to enjoy how disappointed the Maple Leafs fans would be at this performance. He also predicted that Marner would receive the 2026 Playoffs MVP award, the Conn Smythe Trophy.
“Leaf fans must be seething and this is glorious. Conn Smythe incoming.”
A fan referenced Marner’s stint with Toronto, which was disappointing, as a curse that the team has on players who seem to perform better once they leave the team.
“The Toronto Curse continues. Mitch Marner is not real.”
Do you think Mitch Marner will be able to lead the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup victory this year? Let us know in the comments.
