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The two sides of Mitch Marner’s return home to Toronto

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The two sides of Mitch Marner’s return home to Toronto


Mitch Marner spent nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. There were some very good times. He established himself as the greatest Maple Leafs player born in the Greater Toronto area. “Mitchy Magic” was often in full force at Scotiabank Arena.

But the relationship turned sour. After years of playoff heartbreaks and early exits, the fan base put Marner in its crosshairs. According to the fans, he was one of the reasons the team wasn’t able to finally capture another Stanley Cup and break the “1967” curse. Safety concerns began to mount. Marner’s car was stolen, and his address was leaked online. He needed private security for his family.

The fan scrutiny in one of the largest and most intense hockey markets in the world didn’t stop. Social media comments and trolls were relentless. A fresh start for the star player seemed inevitable and needed. So, Marner left his hometown team and joined the Vegas Golden Knights via trade, inking an eight-year deal at $12 million in average annual value.

Marner got two very different reactions in his return to Toronto on Friday.

For the first time in his NHL career, the Toronto native was the visitor, donning the Golden Knights’ sweater. The first time he touched the puck, the Leafs faithful let him have it, showering him with boos.

“That was fine,” Marner told reporters after the game. “I knew it was going to come.” Marner noted that the Leafs have a passionate fan base and that he still has “a lot of love for these fans.”

Leafs fans brought the heat Friday: “Benedict Marn-old” one sign read. “Thanks for 9 great regular seasons” another read. And yes, Marner was booed throughout the game whenever he touched the puck, save for some cheers on his two helpers as the Golden Knights beat the Leafs 6-3.

But it was all classy when Marner’s tribute video aired during the first TV timeout. The video included highlights of his incredible plays wearing the blue and white, and the fans applauded. When the video ended with a message of “Welcome Back Mitch,” the fans gave Marner a standing ovation while he skated around center ice acknowledging the crowd. After the game, Marner spotted a fan wearing his jersey in the crowd and gave them his stick.

This is a formula I would love to see become tradition. The fans have every right to boo a player who left them. This is sports. You paid for a ticket. Boo to your heart’s content. These athletes are getting paid millions of dollars to play at the highest levels and win championships — trolling and booing come with the territory.

But when that tribute video hits, the hate gets put aside and you give a moment of respect for the contributions of that player. That’s your moment to say thanks. Toronto got it right in that regard Friday night. Now you can boo him however long you want during games.

It should be assumed and not needed to be said, but doxing, bodily harm and theft are absolutely not OK. Athletes are also human beings.

Who knows how long it will last for Marner? New York Islanders fans still boo John Tavares — but hey, at least they don’t throw rubber snakes on the ice anymore.

Jump ahead:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps

Biggest games of the week

6:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

Obviously, the biggest game this week will be the Stadium Series on Sunday from Raymond James Stadium. I can’t wait for the atmosphere, the game itself in that environment, but also all the fun surrounding it. Disney World is a short drive away, and the Gasparilla Pirate Festival will be happening around the same time. It should be an absolute party.

Also, don’t forget about the second half of the Stadium Series doubleheader on Sunday night after the Bolts-Bruins game. Marner and his Golden Knights teammates will be heading to Southern California to take on the Anaheim Ducks (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Other key games to watch

MONDAY

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+

TUESDAY

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

WEDNESDAY

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

THURSDAY

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

7 p.m. ET | ESPN+

7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+/Hulu

9 p.m. ET | ESPN+

10 p.m. ET | ESPN+

SATURDAY

1 p.m. ET | ABC

3:30 p.m. ET | ABC

5 p.m. ET | ESPN+

7 p.m. ET | NHL Network

10 p.m. ET | ESPN+

What I loved this weekend

The Shoresy Classic made a stop in Calgary recently, and the Flames are the favorite team of Jared Keeso, creator of the “Shoresy” comedy show and the actor who plays the title character.

Keeso’s passion shone through when he addressed the crowd (and Flames alumni) before the game:

A fun thing I learned this weekend while covering the X Games: multiple-time ski big air gold medalist Mac Forehand is the cousin of Trevor Zegras, lives in Utah and attends Mammoth games. Forehand won another gold Friday night on an unreal 2160 jump — six full rotations! — for an impressive 96 score from the judges. He will also be competing for Team USA at the Olympics. Best of luck, Mac!

Hart Trophy candidates if the season ended today

Another week down and Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini remain in the top three spots for NHL MVP.

MacKinnon’s 88 points is two behind McDavid for the scoring lead, but MacKinnon’s Avs remain 10 points clear of the next-best team atop the standings. Celebrini had a relatively quiet week by his standards, but the 19-year-old has 74 points through 50 games.

Here I thought I’d be simply ordering Mac, Mc and Mack in the Hart Trophy race for the rest of the season — but a new contender is in hot pursuit.

That is Nikita Kucherov, who has 78 points through 46 games for the Eastern juggernaut Lightning. I’m sticking with my same three this week, but Kucherov is officially on watch because he could elbow Celebrini out of the running by going on a streak.

Social media post of the weekend

Is going to go off the board here and call out this excellent photo of two Mount Rushmore-caliber defensemen and a possible future one in Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Cale Makar. Both because it’s an iconic photo that should probably be somewhere in the Hall of Fame but also because Bourque is just like us, standing on his tippy-toes trying not to look too short in the picture (albeit with Makar in skates). All short kings do it, no shame in that!

And an honorable mention this week: How did NJ Devil make this catch?

Stick taps

On Thursday, the NHL, NHLPA and ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative held an innovation competition at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando. Hundreds of undergrad and graduate college students in the state of Florida submitted ideas to help grow the game of hockey at the grassroots level and tackle this question: “How can we strengthen the future of hockey by expanding participation, improving safe access, and making the game more fun and engaging for families and communities?”

It came down to six teams that presented in front of judges and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

Two awards were given out: the Innovator Award (the most out-of-the-box and transformative idea) and the Change Maker Award (most feasible and ready-to-implement award).

Hockey Unidos (Claire Maloney, Emma Mussante, Kylie Hafner and Anthony Costanzo) from the University of South Florida won the Change Maker Award. Their idea involved a culturally tailored hockey pop-up designed to engage Latino communities through festivals, food, language and family-driven activations.

AI Hockey Hubs (Demetrius Walker and Adolfo Acevedo) from Florida A&M University won the Innovation Award. Their idea was a portable, tech-enabled micro-rink that can turn small spaces into hockey skill zones using AI-supported training experiences.

Each winning student also won $2,000 and a VIP ticket experience to the 2026 NHL Stadium Series (or a Florida-based home game) along with VIP access to a special NHL, ESPN or Disney behind-the-scenes experience.

Congratulations to the winners!





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Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says

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March 27, 2026

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Tiger Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI, sheriff says


Mar 27, 2026, 05:14 PM ET

Tiger Woods showed signs of impairment and was arrested Friday at the scene of a car crash in which he struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover, authorities said.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods and the person in the other vehicle were not injured. Woods was able to crawl out of the passenger side of his Land Rover.

The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island. Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving on a two-land road. He swerved to avoid a collision as he was passing the truck, but clipped the back end of the truck’s trailer. Woods’ vehicle then rolled onto its driver’s side.

Budensiek said investigators at the scene found Woods to be showing signs of impairment. He did a breathalyzer test, which came out negative, but he refused to take a urine test. Authorities charged him with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test, Budensiek said. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Woods’ manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking information.

Woods, 50, had spent the past several months recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and another back surgery in October. The 15-time major champion competed for the first time in more than a year during Tuesday’s TGL finals, where his Jupiter Links GC team lost to the Los Angeles Golf Club.

He had been weighing whether to return to the PGA Tour at the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, the first major of the season, which begins April 9.

Woods last competed on the PGA Tour in July 2024 when he missed the cut at the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. He last played four rounds in a PGA Tour event at the 2024 Masters.

In February 2021, Woods suffered significant leg injuries in a one-car crash outside of Los Angeles, in which his SUV rolled several times and left him trapped in the car. He later had surgery to deal with “open fractures” to his lower right leg, had a rod placed in a tibia and had screws and pins inserted in his foot and ankle during emergency surgery. Woods was hospitalized for three weeks following the surgery.

At the 2021 Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods said, “I’m lucky to be alive and also have a limb.” He said it was 50-50 as to whether part of his right leg could have been amputated.

He had at least one more surgery related to injuries from the crash in April 2023.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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FIFA clears Fulham’s Diop, Ajax’s Bounida to play for Morocco

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March 27, 2026

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FIFA clears Fulham’s Diop, Ajax’s Bounida to play for Morocco


Mar 27, 2026, 11:55 AM ET

Morocco got FIFA permission to select Fulham defender Issa Diop and Ajax midfielder Rayane Bounida among seven players recruited this month by the 2022 World Cup semifinalist ahead of the next edition in North America, and 16 in total since last March.

The 29-year-old Diop was a France youth and under-21 international and Bounida is among six players aged 20 or under changing eligibility this month to represent Morocco after playing youth games for Belgium or the Netherlands.

All have direct family ties to Morocco that allow them within FIFA rules to change national eligibility, typically when players have not played a senior competitive game for the first country they represented.

Diop and Bounida are in new coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad for World Cup warmup games against Ecuador on Friday in Madrid, and Paraguay on Tuesday in Lens, France.

At the 2026 World Cup Morocco is in a group with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti playing games, respectively, near New York, Boston and in Atlanta.

Morocco gets direct entry to the 2030 tournament as a co-host with Spain and Portugal, plus single games to be played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The Morocco federation, under the leadership of Fouzi Lekjaa, an increasingly influential figure in soccer politics, has actively recruited players from a diaspora in Europe.

The squad which made World Cup history in Qatar as the first semifinalist from Africa included stars such as Hakim Ziyech and Sofyan Amrabat who had been Netherlands youth internationals.

The eligibility changes FIFA approved in March include Bounida and Genk midfielder Saif Eddien Lazar who had represented Belgium.

Players switching to Morocco from the Netherlands were Benjamin Khaderi and Sami Bouhoudane, both aged 18 from PSV Eindhoven, 20-year-old Utrecht defender Oualid Agougil and 18-year-old Ayoud Ouarghi from Feyenoord.

FIFA also approved nine more players changing eligibility from March to December last year, from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway.



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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports

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March 27, 2026

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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports


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Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash in Florida on Friday, according to multiple reports. 

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN that the crash happened on Jupiter Island on Friday afternoon. Woods’ condition was not immediately known. 

Woods competed in the TGL championship earlier this week with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, Kai, in the stands. It was his return to competitive golf after rupturing his Achilles last year, just ahead of the Masters.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club looks on before the match against the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)

The 15-time major winner, five of which have come at Augusta, was noncommittal about playing at this year’s Masters. President Donald Trump said on “The Five” on Thursday that he would be at Augusta but not play.

Woods has had trouble behind the wheel in the past. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for months.

This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates.

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