Toronto Maple Leafs winger Kirill Marchenko sent a clear message to the Columbus Blue Jackets fans for booing him.
For the first time since he was traded the day before the season began, Marchenko played in Nationwide Arena in Columbus as a member of the Maple Leafs. Marchenko was traded to Toronto in exchange for Matthew Knies after he requested a trade out of Columbus for undisclosed reasons.
Marchenko, who scored a goal in the Maple Leafs’ 6-2 victory over Columbus, was booed for most of the game by the Blue Jackets fans.
While nobody wants to be booed, for the Russian winger, it’s just part of the game.
Kirill Marchenko Reacts to Boos
Speaking to reporters after the game, Marchenko reacted to the heavy boos from the Blue Jackets crowd on his return to Columbus.
“It’s fine. I’d be ready for that. I can’t control that. I appreciate all fans who’ve been here when I played,” Marchenko said about the boos, while also noting that it was a “special night for sure… I’m really happy to win this game. It’s so important for me.”
Kirill Marchenko: "It special night for sure … I really happy to win this game. It so important for me"
on being booed by Columbus fans: "It's fine. I be ready for that. I can't control that. I appreciate all fans whose been here when I played …"@TSN_Sports
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 21, 2026
Kirill Marchenko Reacts to Big Hit by Adam Fantilli
Another talking point that occurred during the game was when Columbus center Adam Fantilli had a big hit on Marchenko, his former teammate.
While it was a clean hit, it was still obvious that Fantilli — who shared some very stern words about Marchenko’s trade request with reporters before the game — wanted to take some frustrations out on his former linemate.
For Marchenko, the hit was just a part of doing business.
“A couple guys hit me. I take it as fine. It’s not a surprise, but it’s a good hit, actually, and need to be better next time and heads up quicker or maybe shot quicker… happy to win. I can take so many hits if we win… it’s so nice,” Marchenko said.
Did Fantilli surprise Marchenko with hit?
"A couple guys hit me. I take it as fine. It's not a surprise, but it's a good hit, actually & need to be better next time & heads up quicker or maybe shot quicker … Happy to win. I can take so many hits if we win … it's so nice"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 21, 2026
With the big win in Columbus, the Maple Leafs picked up a valuable two points and improved to 5-4-2 on the season. They also now have their first two-game win streak of the young season.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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