- Oct 16, 2026
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Marchenko opened the scoring in Toronto's 6-2 win over Columbus, his first contest against his former club since a trade less than a month prior.
Fantilli made pointed remarks before the game regarding Marchenko's departure. The Blue Jackets forward said he was "happy we got guys who want to be here" and that keeping an unwilling player would have been difficult. During play, Fantilli tried to hit Marchenko.
On Daily Faceoff LIVE Wednesday, Yaremchuk and Hutton analyzed the dynamic. Hutton suggested Fantilli's comments looked unfavorable given the outcome, and he cited Bowness's end-of-season remarks about Marchenko leading the charge.
Marchenko said he could absorb plenty of contact as long as his side prevailed. He expressed satisfaction with the result and indicated the hits were anticipated. Knies was also highlighted as off to a good start for Toronto.
Source: Daily Faceoff - Wed Oct 21, 11:40 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).