One of the most anticipated games on the 2025-26 NHL schedule will be when former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner makes his return to Toronto as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.The league released its full regular season schedule on Wednesday, and Marner's first game back in Toronto is slated for January 23, 2026. Marner spent the first nine years of his career with the Maple Leafs. He emerged as one of the team's core players. However, after several playoff disappointments, including a devastating first-round loss in 2023-24 and a second-round loss in 2024-25, he was traded to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal this offseason. Mitch Marner will face his former team for the first time in Vegas on Jan. 15, with a return to Toronto for the rematch on the 23rd. For Maple Leafs fans, other key dates on the calendar include opening night on Oct. 8 against Montreal, a Jan. 8 rematch with the Florida Panthers, who eliminated Toronto in the second round last season, and the regular season finale on April 15. Marner facing his former team and fans for the first time will likely be the most anticipated regular-season game on the NHL schedule. Ryan Reaves's take on Mitch Marner's Toronto Maple Leafs exit Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves weighed in on Mitch Marner’s departure during an appearance on the "Cam & Strick" podcast. Reaves acknowledged Marner's long tenure and commitment to the organization, saying: "Mitchie earned the right to go wherever he wants. He's dedicated a lot of his career — his whole career — to Toronto. A hometown guy. He's poured everything he had into it. Sometimes it's just time to move on (Timestamp: 1:42:13 onwards). However, Reaves noted the intense criticism Marner faced from the passionate Leafs fanbase was likely a factor, calling some fans "a little ruthless" towards him as a hometown player: "I think they can be a little ruthless to him. I guess just because he's the hometown guy, and sometimes fans want to point fingers at somebody." Reaves pointed to two factions of Toronto fans: those laser-focused on winning even if it means "dragging anybody through the dirt", and the loyal supporters just wanting to cheer a successful team. Drafted No. 4 in 2015, Mitch Marner registered 741 points in 657 games with Toronto, ranking fifth in team history.