"I wanted to play for this team my whole life," Marner said following the selection in a conversation with Sportsnet.
Marner, the team's first fourth overall selection since famed defensemen Al Iafrate in 1984, holds ties to a pair of Leafs front office personnel who have recently arrived via Knights Management: Newly hired amateur scout Lindsay Hofford and Hunter, the team's director of player personnel.
This season, Marner's two points per game (PPG) scoring clip was good for second in the CHL, behind only first overall selection Connor McDavid, and ahead of Erie's Dylan Strome (1.89 PPG).