Mitch Marner gives heartfelt response when asked about Jake Muzzin's condition.
Between the Leafs' subpar play and the absolutely horrendous no goal call in the last minute of the game, Jake Muzzin's reported neck injury fell by the wayside in the eyes of many fans. Muzzin left the game during the second period after a collision with Coyotes forward Clayton Keller. The Leafs announced before the third that Muzzin wouldn't return, but there was no update after the game.
Muzzin has had a brutal run of injuries over the past couple of seasons. Age, multiple concussions, a nagging back issue and a rumoured degenerative hip issue are beginning to catch up with the 2 time Stanley Cup Champion. Over the past 3 seasons, Muzzin hasn't played more than 53 regular season games. He's also been out of the lineup to finish 2 of the Leafs last 3 playoff series.
At some point, one has to wonder about Muzzin's health long term. All NHL careers end eventually, and the amount of damage Muzzin has sustained raises concerns about his life after hockey. Mitch Marner was asked to comment on Muzzin's condition after Monday night's game ended. Instead of sharing medical information he may or may not have had, Marner chose to send a heartfelt message to Muzzin and his family.
I think we can all agree. With Marner's sentiment. It's easy as fans to forget that the players we cheer for have lives and families of their own. At some point, hockey needs to take a back seat to family. Like Marner, we can only hope that Muzzin is okay, and that when his time with the blue and white does come to an end, he's still got his health. We will update as more details are released, but for now all we can do is wait.
