September is here, which means the Vegas Golden Knights play hockey this month, as do the other 31 teams in the NHL. With training camp kicking off soon, followed by preseason games, it’s nearly time to get back in the swing of things.
Related: Midsummer Musings on a Variety of Golden Knights Topics
The Golden Knights’ biggest addition this summer, Mitch Marner, spoke about his time in Toronto with TSN’s Mark Masters in a sit-down interview. We dive into his conversation among much more as we near hockey season.
Marner Talks About His Time in Toronto
For superstars, attention and media coverage are expected. But in Toronto, it’s triple the coverage of anywhere else. For Marner, a superstar without a contract extension, that was his life for the majority of his last two years with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Marner, who was always the talk of the town in Toronto due to the heightened pressure from fans and media, was scrutinized through a microscope. Every movement on or off the ice was looked at, and that’s the way it went, until it went too far.
“You’re always concerned,” Marner said. “You can’t just say, ‘Ah, it’s just social media.’ Because if something happened, that would be the biggest regret you could ever have. So you’ve got to take every one of those seriously. It’s unfortunate. What happens is it builds up and it builds up. And you know they attack him, his family, his father. The misinformation out there, it’s ridiculous” (from ‘Mitch Marner opens up about threats, security concerns while with Maple Leafs,’ The Athletic, 8/29/25).
Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, also told the 100% Hockey podcast that people were even throwing things in his yard, among other nonsense.
“We had people throwing stuff in his yard,” Ferris said. “Someone actually posted his address (on social media) once. We had to get it taken down with the help of Leafs security (staff).”
This was unfortunately the norm for the Marner family. Now, Marner will open a new door in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he’ll play away from his hometown of Toronto for the first time in his life. He also hopes the noise is a little quieter out west, so he can focus on what matters most: hockey.
National Broadcast Schedule
The NHL unveiled its national broadcast schedule, with the Golden Knights slated for 15 appearances. Here’s the full list:
- Wed. Oct. 8 vs. Los Angeles Kings
- Thu. Oct. 9 at San Jose Sharks
- Tue. Dec. 2 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- Tue. Dec. 9 at N.Y. Islanders
- Wed. Dec. 17 vs. New Jersey Devils
- Wed. Jan. 14 at Kings
- Thu. Jan. 15 vs. Maple Leafs
- Thu. Jan. 29 vs. Dallas Stars
- Sun. Feb. 1 vs. Anaheim Ducks
- Wed. Feb. 25 at Kings
- Sun. March 1 at Pittsburgh Penguins
- Sun. March 8 vs. Edmonton Oilers
- Thu. March 19 vs. Utah Mammoth
- Thu. March 26 vs. Oilers
- Sat. April 11 at Colorado Avalanche
Some games to circle on the calendar are, of course, the Oct. 8 home opener against the Kings, a team that general manager Ken Holland hopes to contend with the rest of the Western Conference.
While it won’t be broadcast nationally, the game that’ll garner lots of attention will be on Jan. 23 when the Golden Knights visit the Maple Leafs and will mark Marner’s return to Toronto.
The Washington Capitals headline the national spotlight more than any other team this season, earning 18 nationally televised games. The Golden Knights aren’t far behind, checking in with 15 appearances with plenty of intriguing games just around the corner.
Loose Pucks
- Adin Hill enters the first year of his $37.5 million contract ($6.25 million average annual value) that he signed last spring. After a rocking 2025 postseason run, the 2025-26 season will see much pressure on the shoulders of the 29-year-old. With Akira Schmid backing him up, the goaltending situation will certainly be a focal point to watch this season for Vegas.
- When will Connor McDavid sign? Or better yet, where will he sign? That same question applies to Golden Knights superstar center Jack Eichel. The first and second overall draft picks in 2015 seek new contracts after this season; both will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs). After signing Marner, it’ll be interesting to see when a potential Eichel contract could be signed, whether that’s before or during the season.
- The Henderson Silver Knights kick off their 2025-26 campaign on Oct. 10 against the Abbotsford Canucks. Head coach Ryan Craig and company will look to bounce back after finishing last in the Pacific Division in 2024-25.
