Canadian ice hockey player (born 1990)
Jonathan Marchessault (; né Audy-Marchessault; born December 27, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Undrafted and regarded as an undersized player, Marchessault began his career as a professional player in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2011. He signed his first NHL contract with the Blue Jackets the following year, though he remained mostly with their AHL affiliates. He became a more regular fixture with the Lightning in the season, and departed to the in-state rival Panthers that offseason, where had a 30-goal breakout season.
After being selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Marchessault became one of the core pieces of the team offense, and helped Vegas become the first expansion team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season since the 1967–68 St. Louis Blues. He was selected as the Golden Knights' All-Star representative in 2022, and led his team to a Stanley Cup victory in 2023. He was elected winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Golden Knights' championship victory, becoming the first undrafted player to win the award since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.
Playing career.
As a youth, Marchessault played in the 2003 and 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Rive-Nord, Quebec.
Junior.
Marchessault played his entire junior hockey career with the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He originally joined the team as a 16-year-old for the 2007–08 season after being drafted by them in the 12th round.
In the 2009–10 season, Marchessault won the Gaétan Duchesne Trophy as the QMJHL's best defensive player. He was also named Player of the Week in both the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) for the week ending December 13, 2010.
As Quebec's alternate captain in his final junior hockey season, Marchessault finished sixth in the QMJHL in scoring during the regular season. He also led the League in game-winning goals for the season, with 11. In the 2011 playoffs, he led the QMJHL in scoring despite Quebec having been eliminated in the semi-finals; he became the first player to lead the QMJHL in playoff scoring despite not playing in the final round.
Marchessault was named the QMJHL Top Star of the Week for the week ending September 19, 2010. He was also named CHL Player of the Week for the week ending April 3, 2011, during the QMJHL playoffs. At the end of the season, Marchessault was awarded the Bud Light Cup as Quebec's player of the year. Moreover, he was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star.
Professional.
Connecticut Whale.
Not having been selected in any NHL Entry Draft, on June 23, 2011, Marchessault signed his first professional contract with the New York Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Connecticut Whale, on a recommendation by Dean Stork, coach of the ECHL's Greenville Road Warriors. Upon signing, Marchessault joined former Rempart teammates Ryan Bourque and Kelsey Tessier within the Rangers organization. Marchessault began his professional career in 2011–12 with the Whale.
On October 9, 2011, in his second professional game, Marchessault scored the game-winning shootout goal against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored his first professional non-shootout goal on October 22, 2011, in a game against the Springfield Falcons. In his first professional season, Marchessault tied for the Whale team lead with 64 points, leading the team with 40 assists and adding 24 goals.
Columbus Blue Jackets.
After the 2011–12 season, Marchessault did not re-sign with the Whale, instead signing a three-year, entry-level contract as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played the following season for Columbus' AHL affiliate Springfield Falcons, leading the team in scoring and being named a First Team AHL All-Star.
Beginning with the 2013–14 season, Marchessault dropped "Audy" from his last name. In his second season with Columbus, on March 5, 2014, that season's trade deadline, he was traded with Dalton Smith to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Dana Tyrell and Matt Taormina.
Tampa Bay Lightning.
On April 11, 2015, the Lightning called Marchessault up from the AHL's Syracuse Crunch to replace an ill Jonathan Drouin in the final game of the regular season. Upon his call-up to the NHL, Marchessault had played in 64 games with Syracuse, leading the team with 41 assists and 64 points. He was also second on the team in goals (23) and tied for second in power play goals (6). On April 11, he scored his first career NHL goal and point in a Tampa Bay's 3–2 shootout victory over the visiting Boston Bruins; he was also named the game's first star by the attending media. The next day, on April 12, the Lightning reassigned Marchessault to Syracuse to join them for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. After the Crunch were eliminated from the AHL playoffs, Marchessault was recalled to practice with the team as one of the "Black Aces," an extra player to fill in for possible injuries on the roster. As a result of Ryan Callahan's emergency appendectomy, Marchessault made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in a 4–1 Lightning win over the Montreal Canadiens, eliminating the latter from the playoffs.
On June 28, 2015, the Lightning re-signed Marchessault to a one-year, two way contract. Marchessault appeared in two Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Lightning. He also appeared in two games during the regular season, recording one goal. This was his first career goal, which was scored on April 11, 2015. In addition, Marchessault played in 68 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch, ranking sixth in the league in assists (43).
Florida Panthers.
After three seasons within the Lightning organization, Marchessault left as a free agent and signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2016. In the 2016–17 season, Marchessault got off to a quick start offensively with the Panthers, and enjoyed a break-out season. In becoming one of the best value signings from the previous summer, Marchessault in his first full NHL season led the Panthers with 30 goals in recording 51 points in 75 games. He was the first Panther to reach 30 goals since David Booth in 2009.
Vegas Golden Knights.
On June 21, 2017, having been exposed by the Panthers, Marchessault was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. On January 3, 2018, Marchessault signed a six-year, $30 million extension with the Golden Knights. With 75 points in the regular season and 21 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Marchessault established himself as one of the league's elite wingers. He led the team in post-season scoring with eight goals as the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season.
He scored 25 goals to go with 34 assists during the 2018–19 NHL season, as the Golden Knights once again battled the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Marchessault scored the game-tying goal in Game 7 of the Western Conference Quarter Finals in the final minute of the game, though the Sharks eventually won in overtime. Afterwards, he was very outspoken about the major penalty call in the third period to teammate Cody Eakin, who cross-checked Sharks forward Joe Pavelski who fell to the ice awkwardly and subsequently began bleeding from his head. The penalty resulted in the Sharks scoring four power-play goals to take a 4–3 lead.
Marchessault scored his first career playoff hat-trick for the Golden Knights against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in Game 4 of their second round Stanley Cup playoffs matchup, helping Vegas to tie the series at 2–2. The Golden Knights reached the conference finals for the third time in four seasons, but were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
The 2021–22 season proved a disappointment for the Golden Knights, plagued by injuries to key players, ultimately missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. However, Marchessault enjoyed a strong campaign, equalling his career high in goals and leading the team in points. He was the Golden Knights' representative to the 2022 All-Star Game. 
The Golden Knights' results rebounded in the following 2022–23 season, finishing first in the Western Conference to qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Marchessault managed 28 goals and 57 points in the regular season, but was offensively stymied in the early going in the playoffs, managing only two assists over the course of the team's first seven postseason games. However, his output markedly increased beginning with Game 3 of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. He scored his second career playoff hat trick, this time a natural one, in Game 6 of the second round to eliminate the Oilers. In a Conference Final rematch against the Dallas Stars, Marchessault managed a late tying goal in Game 2, sending it to overtime where the Golden Knights emerged victorious. The Knights reached the Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history, this time facing Marchessault's former team, the Panthers. 
Continuing to score prolifically, many in the media began to suggest that Marchessault would be the favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the postseason were the Golden Knights to win. Ultimately, the Golden Knights won the Cup in a five-game series. Marchessault tied the Oilers' Leon Draisaitl for first place in goal-scoring in the playoffs (13) and was second in points (25), one behind teammate Jack Eichel, earning as a result the Conn Smythe Trophy. 
He was the tenth undrafted player to win the Smythe Trophy, and the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1988, though "The Athletic" called him "the first true undrafted player ever to win the award" as the previous nine were either players from the World Hockey Association merger or from an era when teams could sign young players to protected lists: "Unlike the Bobby Orr and Jean Béliveaus, Marchessault was simply overlooked." He was one of six original members of the Golden Knights to still be with the team for their first Stanley Cup win six years later, alongside William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore and William Carrier.
Nashville Predators.
Following a 2023–24 season that saw him record a career-high 42 goals, Marchessault left the Golden Knights as a free agent and signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2024.
International play.
On April 29, 2019, Marchessault was selected to his maiden international tournament after he was named to the Team Canada roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Slovakia. Placed on Canada's first line he helped Canada progress through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland to finish with the Silver Medal on May 26, 2019. Marchessault finished the tournament contributing with 3 goals and 10 points in 10 games.
Personal life.
Marchessault was known as Jonathan Audy-Marchessault early in his career. He dropped Audy from his legal surname in 2013, in order to shorten it for his child. Marchessault and his wife have four children. The family resides in Summerlin, Nevada.
References.
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