One of the most awkward moments between Mike Babcock and Mitch Marner has surfaced

Marner put himself last. He's now in the Cup Final.

When JVR appeared on Daily Faceoff and walked through the 2016-17 list incident, his reaction - "did that really just happen?" - became the clip everyone shared.

His disbelief made sense. A 19-year-old rookie was handed the job of ranking every veteran in that Toronto Maple Leafs dressing room by work ethic, and then Babcock shared that list with the players at the bottom.

The detail that changes everything: Marner ranked himself last.

He sat across from his coach, fresh out of junior hockey, and told him he was the least hard-working player on the team.

Mitch Marner is in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights.

That's the context JVR's reaction deserves. The teenager who placed himself at the bottom of the list, who walked out of that meeting knowing veterans would see his assessment - that player went on to become one of the most dynamic forwards in the NHL.

He left Toronto, joined a new system, and is one win away from a championship.

Babcock's list didn't break him. It didn't motivate him either. Marner outlasted the whole era.

The story is back because the Edmonton Oilers are pursuing Babcock as their next head coach.

The NHLPA has asked the NHL to complete a formal investigation into Babcock's conduct in Columbus before any hire moves forward.

Those Columbus allegations are separate from the 2016-17 Marner story. They involve different conduct and a different time.

But the JVR clip lands differently now. When the player you made rank himself last is playing for a Stanley Cup, the old story carries new weight.