Mike Marson

Hockey career

Michael Robert Marson, born July 24, 1955, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played six NHL seasons from 1974 to 1979, suiting up for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings. He was the second Black Canadian to ever play in the league.

As a kid, Marson took part in the 1968 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Wexford, Toronto. During the 1973-74 OHA season, he was named a second-team all-star and, at just 18, led the Sudbury Wolves in scoring with 94 points. The Washington Capitals made him their first pick of the second round, 19th overall, in the 1974 NHL entry draft. He signed a five-year contract and became the second Black Canadian in NHL history, after Willie O'Ree. He was eligible for that draft because the league allowed underage players to be selected that year.

Marson’s first NHL game was also the first game in Capitals franchise history, on October 9, 1974. His best season came as a rookie, when he scored 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points over 76 games. He has said he faced discrimination right from the start, recalling racial slurs like "nigger" and "sambo" being shouted at him during his first game at Maple Leaf Gardens against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Teammate Ron Lalonde noted how the abuse affected him: "There were racial slurs that were fired and he'd be quick [to react]. He had a short fuse. The next thing you knew, he'd be involved in something. It was hard for him to work on his game. And he could skate. He was one of the best skaters in the league, but he spent so much energy having to defend himself." Marson also received numerous death threats. He dealt with weight issues and alcoholism during his career.

In total, Marson played 196 NHL games—193 with Washington and three with Los Angeles—recording 24 goals, 24 assists, and 233 penalty minutes. In the AHL, he played for the Baltimore Clippers, Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears, Philadelphia Firebirds, and Binghamton Dusters.

During his playing days in Washington, he attended classes at the University of Maryland. At 17, while playing junior hockey in Sudbury, his mother died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Nearly four years later, his younger brother also passed away suddenly at age 20. After his playing career ended in 1980, Marson took up martial arts, eventually earning a seventh-degree black belt in Shotokan and the title of Master-Shihan. He created an off-ice martial arts training program for hockey players to improve timing, focus, and confidence; former NHL player Rick Nash was a student.

Personal life

While playing for Washington, Marson took courses at the University of Maryland. As a 17-year-old junior player in Sudbury, Ontario, his mother died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. About four years later, his 20-year-old brother also passed away unexpectedly. After retiring from hockey in 1980, he turned to martial arts, earning a seventh-degree black belt in Shotokan and the title of Master-Shihan. He created an off-ice training program for hockey players that focuses on timing, focus, and confidence. Former NHL player Rick Nash went through the program.