Armed robbery and dangerous threats: Mitch Marner moves forward in his recovery process

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Jeff Drouin
July 15, 2022 (8:16 PM)

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Last May, just after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs, forward Mitch Marner and his fiancée Stephanie LaChance were attacked in a car in west Toronto by three suspects carrying two handguns and a knife. The suspects, all wearing masks, demanded the keys to his Range Rover before leaving the couple empty handed.

On Thursday night, Marner held his annual Marner Assist Fund charity event and used the opportunity to talk about the incident and its impact on his mental health.

"It was surreal. I don't think fear hits you before. The adrenaline rush goes through you so hard that at that point, you were just ready to do whatever the person asked. They wanted the keys to the car. And that was something I was willing to give up with what was going on at that time and what was being directed at me."

"So, at that point, (it was a matter of) giving up the car keys, walking away from the vehicle and trying to find the nearest person to call 911 and try to resolve the conflict." - Mitch Marner

He even admitted to having flashbacks while getting back into a car and reflected on the incident.

"It was definitely a crazy day. Thankfully, we weren't hurt. Me and my fiancée (Stephanie LaChance) were going to be perfectly fine. So that's all that matters in the end. But it certainly affects you mentally. It gets in your head for a few weeks...hits you when you go back to driving a car." - Mitch Marner

In the end, Marner and LaChance were not injured in the incident, and the striker is moving forward in his healing process by sharing his experience with the world and working through the impacts of the incident.