Footage Captures Auston Matthews Skating Alone, Ending His Ritual With Marner

For years, the duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner would take the ice during pregame warmups and get a final feel before the game kicked off, with Marner usually flipping a puck to the fans at the end:

However, with Mitch Marner gone it's going to be a new era in Toronto, and the team is looking like they are going to be just fine without him, and have brought in a bunch of depth and new faces who might fit in a little better in Craig Berube's system.

So with Toronto's second preseason game kicking off at home against Ottawa on Tuesday, it was a different scene for sure as the captain was the only one on the ice at the end of warmups, with no one joining him a la Marner in years past:

It's certainly a sign that the winds of change have blown through the Maple Leafs organization and with Matthews leading the charge alone it almost signifies that now this is firmly his team and his alone; no more sidekicks or Marner talk.

He's certainly over any talk of his old teammate and besides his ultimatum to reporters, has already shown that he is more than ready to lead the team and looks healthy to boot:

This year is going to be as important as ever for the captain, as he looks to not only silence his critics and doubters after an injury-riddled 2024-25 season, but to prove to everyone that Marner was a sidekick, not a necessary piece.

The team atmosphere is calmer, more relaxed, and seemingly much better off without Marner and Matthews continuing his tradition without him speaks to his dedication to the team.

It's always been Auston Matthews' team, no matter who tries to make a claim otherwise, and this is just cementing things even more than they already are.