Bo Bichette’s Return to Toronto Could Parallel NHL Star Mitch Marner

There are similarities to be found between the Toronto departures of the former Blue Jays shortstop and the former Maple Leafs winger.

Former Toronto Blue Jay Bo Bichette in Game 7 of the World Series, his final game with the club. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Canadians have a long-held reputation for being polite, but you wouldn't know it if you caught a glimpse of the scene inside Scotiabank Arena on Friday night when the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Vegas Golden Knights and their star forward, Mitch Marner.

Marner was making his first trip to Toronto since departing the Maple Leafs franchise under acrimonious circumstances after spending the first nine years of his career there. Unsurprisingly, he got a rather contentious reception from the booing home crowd.

A little further down the road, Rogers Centre could see a similar scene unfold this summer.

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Will Bichette Also Get Booed By Toronto Fans?

Marner takes the ice to boos in Toronto pic.twitter.com/OGuQZjOnT1

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 23, 2026

Now that Marner's return to the city has passed, local sports fans can look ahead to late June, when Bichette and the New York Mets come to town for a three-game series from June 29 - July 1. The Blue Jays playing at home on Canada Day is always a big occasion, but hosting a homegrown seven-year veteran of the franchise in his first trip back promises to make for an emotional series.

The question is, what kinds of emotions can be expected from fans? The comparison to Marner's return presents some similarities, but also some differences.

Similarly, both men developed in their respective Toronto-based organizations and turned into star players, becoming fan favorites along the way. And yet, both departed under something less than the happiest of circumstances. Marner reportedly took issue with the Maple Leafs' willingness to trade him, while Bichette is rumored to have developed a strained relationship with the Blue Jays' coaching staff.

That being said, there are differences too. Marner was burdened by years of taking blame for the hockey club's underwhelming playoff results in a hockey-crazed media market. On the other hand, if Toronto had held on to win Game 7 of the World Series, it would have been Bichette's three-run home run that stood as one of the game's biggest moments.

Blue Jays fans never soured on Bichette in the same way that Maple Leafs fans grew tired of Marner's disappointing track record in the postseason for an organization still mired in what is nearly a 60-year title drought. However, it was still a tough pill to swallow to see him turn down a chance to run back last season's World Series run and sign with the Mets.

For Marner, the fans' message was clear: we're bitter about how your Toronto tenure ended, but ultimately appreciative of your contributions to the team. That's why he was booed before the game and when he touched the puck, but cheered during the tribute video shown during the first period. Whether it's fair or not, Bichette can probably expect a similarly mixed reaction when he comes back to town.