Jonathan Marchessault

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

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 2015–16 season, and departed to the in-state rival Panthers that off-season, where he 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's offense, and helped Vegas become the first expansion team to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season since the St. Louis Blues in 1968. 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 2023 playoffs, becoming the first undrafted player to win the award since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

In Their Own Story

The 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs were a testament to Marchessault's resilience. After managing only two assists in the first seven postseason games, his output surged in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers. In Game 6, he scored a natural hat-trick to eliminate the Oilers. In the conference final against the Dallas Stars, he scored a late tying goal in Game 2, sending the game to overtime where Vegas won. Facing his former team, the Florida Panthers, in the Stanley Cup Final, Marchessault continued to score prolifically. He tied Leon Draisaitl for the playoff lead in goals (13) and finished second in points (25), one behind teammate Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights won the Cup in five games, and Marchessault was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, becoming the 10th undrafted player to win the award and the first since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

Reader's Guide

Marchessault played his entire junior ice hockey career with the Quebec Remparts of 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 level season, Marchessault finished sixth in the QMJHL in scoring during the 2010–11 regular season. He also led the league in game-winning goals 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. 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 Remparts 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, 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. 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, the Springfield Falcons, leading th

Did You Know?

• Marchessault was the first undrafted player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.
• He scored his first career NHL goal on April 11, 2015, in a Tampa Bay 3–2 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins.

The Undrafted Journey from Junior Star to Pro

Marchessault played his entire junior career with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, joining as a 16-year-old after being drafted in the 12th round. In 2009–10, he won the Gaétan Duchesne Trophy as the QMJHL's best defensive player. In his final junior season, he finished sixth in QMJHL scoring and led the league with 11 game-winning goals. In the 2011 playoffs, he led the QMJHL in scoring despite Quebec being eliminated in the semi-finals, becoming the first player to lead the league in playoff scoring without playing in the final round. He was named a QMJHL First Team All-Star and awarded the Bud Light Cup as Quebec's player of the year. Despite these accolades, he went undrafted by any NHL team. On June 23, 2011, he signed his first professional contract with the AHL's Connecticut Whale on a recommendation by ECHL coach Dean Stork. In his first pro season, he tied for the Whale team lead with 64 points, leading the team with 40 assists and adding 24 goals.

Early Professional Struggles and Breakthroughs

After his rookie AHL season, Marchessault signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played for their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, leading the team in scoring and being named a First Team AHL All-Star. On March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Dalton Smith for Dana Tyrell and Matt Taormina. On April 11, 2015, he was called up to replace an ill Jonathan Drouin and scored his first NHL goal in a 3–2 shootout win over the Boston Bruins, earning First Star honors. He made his Stanley Cup playoff debut after Ryan Callahan's emergency appendectomy. He re-signed with Tampa Bay to a one-year, two-way contract on June 28, 2015. On July 1, 2016, he signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Florida Panthers. In the 2016–17 season, he led the Panthers with 30 goals and 51 points in 75 games, becoming the first Panthers player to reach 30 goals since David Booth in 2008–09.

Vegas Golden Knights Core and Historic Expansion

On June 21, 2017, Marchessault was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft. On January 3, 2018, he signed a six-year, $30 million extension. In the 2017–18 season, he recorded 75 points in the regular season and 21 points in the playoffs, leading the team in postseason scoring with eight goals as the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. In the 2018–19 season, he scored 25 goals and 34 assists. In Game 7 of the first round of the 2019 playoffs, he scored the game-tying goal in the final minute, though the Sharks won in overtime. On June 6, 2021, he scored his first career playoff hat-trick against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the second round. In the 2021–22 season, he equalled his career high in goals and led the team in points, representing the Golden Knights at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game.

2023 Stanley Cup Victory and Conn Smythe Legacy

In the 2022–23 season, Marchessault managed 28 goals and 57 points in the regular season. In the playoffs, after managing only two assists in the first seven games, his output increased in Game 3 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers. He scored his second career playoff hat-trick, a natural one, in Game 6 to eliminate the Oilers. In the conference final against the Dallas Stars, he scored a late tying goal in Game 2, sending it to overtime where the Golden Knights won. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second time, facing the Florida Panthers. Marchessault tied Leon Draisaitl for first in playoff goal-scoring (13) and was second in points (25), one behind Jack Eichel. The Golden Knights won the Cup in five games, and Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He was the 10th undrafted player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.