Team Canada did win, but it could not have been done without the team. Even though Connor McDavid stole the show with that game-winning goal, let’s face it–Canadian overtime at the 4 Nations Championship had some team work sorcery going on. And at the heart of it all? Mitch Marner made some incredible moves that created a perfect path for McDavid to score the goal.

When Canada’s defensive wizard Cale Makar sent the puck spinning along the boards, Marner worked his magic, seamlessly deflecting it off his skate to his stick in one silky move. With a quick dish to McDavid, the captain did what he does best—blasting it past Connor Hellebuyck for the ultimate win. Now, Mitch Marner is pulling back the curtain on that slick play, revealing the sneaky footwork that helped turn the tide.

Mitch Marner got real about his slick footwork in a chat with Sportsnet, breaking down the move that helped Canada shine. “I mean, I didn’t think it would be,” he admitted, explaining that using his feet just felt like second nature. “I thought it’d be easier just to put my feet against the wall.” Turns out, this wasn’t just some last-minute improvisation—Marner’s been perfecting this skill for ages. “I work on a lot of stuff throughout summer time and throughout my life, picking up pucks on the wall with my feet and use my feet a lot to my abilities.” And when it came down to the big moment, he just trusted the process.

Marner also explained how his technique kept him from losing vision on the play. “I thought it’d be easy to pick it up from my skates to my stick and kind of all one smooth motion without also having to turn my back to see what’s in front of me.” Smooth, smart, and all instinct.

And then came the moment of magic. “The third one, I just tried to kind of make a jab step quickly,” Marner shared. He knew exactly where Connor was lurking, “I knew Connor was around the slot area when I looked up and got the puck and just tried to find him scoring any chance and luckily enough, he did the rest with it.” Talk about teamwork at its finest. Marner’s sneaky skills set it all up, and McDavid delivered. Canada’s win? Yeah, that was a mix of trust, talent, and some seriously smooth footwork.

Talking individual brilliance, Oh, Canada had plenty of it! Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Bennett scored in the regular time, while Mitch Marner provided two perfect assists to his teammates as a magician. At the same time, Jordan Binnington was a brick wall with skates, making 31 saves at the goal.

McDavid snagged game MVP honors, while MacKinnon walked away as the tournament’s ultimate standout. But let’s circle back to the real unsung hero—Mitch Marner. Not only did he pull off some stunning moves on the ice, but he was also ready with some words to say after the victory. But of course, he could not let the moment go by without having a little fun at the same time as well!

Mitch Marner’s post win show!

For Mitch Marner, it had been a hot minute since he got to soak in a championship moment. However, this changed on Thursday when he featured in the Canada’s overtime match and assisted in the winning goal to Connor McDavid. The tournament had fans and players fully engaged, and Marner relished every moment of it. “It was cool to celebrate with everyone,” he said, still elated from the victory. But there was no time for that, he was on the next day’s flight to Toronto and switched from the international superstar to the Maple Leafs player as quick as it takes to bat an eye.

When asked about the wild tournament, Marner said that he and Auston Matthews could not stop discussing it. “We were just talking about the tournament, how much fun it was, but how taxing it was also on the body and just how every game wasn’t an easy one,” he said, adding that the grind was real but worth every second. While they enjoyed the 4 Nations run, their attention was immediately drawn back to the business in Toronto, and greater things to come. And let’s not forget Marner’s goal scoring–two primary assists in the final and an OT winner against Sweden? Not a bad way to remind the world what he’s capable of.

But the sweetest moment? That came after the final buzzer, when he got to embrace his family—the ones who have been with him from the start. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to celebrate something really special,” Marner shared, feeling the weight of the sacrifices his loved ones have made for him. Their happiness, their pride, and their enthusiasm made it even more fulfilling.