Undrafted to Conn Smythe Trophy winner
Jonathan Marchessault was never a highly regarded hockey player; he wasn't tall at 5'9, drafted in the 12th round in junior hockey, and no NHL teams drafted him. He initially bounced from team to team in the minors, going from the NY Rangers to the Columbus Blue Jackets and then the Tampa Bay Lightning. He finally got a true stint in the NHL with the Lightning in the 2015-16 season and scored 18 points in 45 games for them. Marchessault would sign that offseason with the Florida Panthers and score 30 goals in a breakout year in his first full NHL season.
The Panthers would leave him unprotected the in the 2017 expansion draft, where the Las Vegas Golden Knights would pick him up. He would play a big part in helping the Knights reach the Stanley Cup finals in their first year. They would not win the Cup that year, but five years later, Marchessault would score thirteen goals to help the Knights win the Stanley Cup.
Social Media
Quotes
Yeah, it was a bumpy ride for sure,...Definitely a lot of hard work was put in and especially through the past few years to achieve my goal. My wife was unbelievable, to be honest. You don’t hear enough about how big they are in the career of a professional athlete. Lots of bumps and bruises along the way. Just a great feeling right now to see where my journey brought me.
Jonathan Marchessault
Even if he was a small player, he was fast and, like I said, he’s a gamer. In Florida, Jonathan Huberdeau got hurt, he had a hell of a season and kind of put his name on the map, and since that day he never looked back. So I think he just needed that one shot, and he took it and now he’s been one of the best players in Vegas for years. I’m not surprised. Guy competes.
David Savard
He’s had to overcome a lot of things,...If you look at his career path to make it to the NHL, playing as a 20-year-old and major junior, which usually those guys don’t end up having the career that he’s got — undrafted, smaller guy, kind of had the Martin St. Louis vibe to him. He doesn’t get fazed by the big moments. If anything, he stays extremely calm and poised under pressure in those moments.
David Perron
References
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From undrafted to Conn Smythe: Jonathan Marchessault’s ‘bumpy ride’ to hockey’s pinnacle is complete
The reality is, Marchessault is the first true undrafted player ever to win the award.
The Athletic
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Marchessault of Golden Knights wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP
But as he said Tuesday, it was "a bumpy ride" to get to this point. As an undrafted free agent, Marchessault played with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning before signing with the Panthers on July 1, 2016. He then had 51 points (30 goals, 21 assists) in 75 games, but he was still left unprotected ahead of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft and was ultimately claimed by Vegas, becoming an original misfit.
NHL
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Jonathan Marchessault’s postseason a reminder of Florida Panthers’ ‘Computer Boys’ era
“Marchessault was a rare Group 6 UFA, meaning he’d played so few games by age 25 that he became an unrestricted free agent early under the CBA,” Werier said. “Despite being under the radar generally, he was our top free-agent target.”
The Athletic
