Mitch Marner reached out to thank Mike Babcock after he was let go by the Leafs

In the aftermath of Mike Babcock’s firing from the Leafs, a wild story from Mitch Marner's rookie season has circulated when Babs pressured him into ranking his teammates by their work ethic and then showed the list to Marner’s lowest ranked players.

A number of former players under Babcock have criticized the coach in the days following his dismissal, but despite how rocky their relationship was at times, Marner did clear the air on how things left off.

In fact, Marner even reached out to thank Babcock over text after he was let go.

Marner has been injured since early November with a high-ankle sprain, a period coinciding with the Leafs' six-game losing streak that led to Babcock’s firing. He hasn’t had the chance to play under Sheldon Keefe yet, but the Leafs are 2-0 so far under new leadership.

While Babcock was known for being hard on his players at times, Keefe says he’s trying to follow a more positive approach.