MARCHESSAULT WINS STANLEY CUP AND CONN SMYTHE 

By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings

HARTFORD, CT – When he was a member of the Connecticut Whale, Jonathan Audy-Marchessault was a diamond in the rough.

Marchessault was playing for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL, learning his craft under the recently-retired Memorial Cup-winning head coach, Patrick Roy, over a dozen years ago. The New York Rangers signed Marchessault as an undrafted free agent in 2010 along with his junior teammate and fellow Connecticut Whale alumni, the just-retired Kelsey Tessier. Another of Marchessault’s junior and CT Whale teammates was retired forward Ryan Bourque.

Marchessault finished second in scoring on the initial CT Whale squad with 24 goals and 64 points. The Rangers thought he was going to be strictly an AHL player. They got that wrong.

The Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance on Marchessault the following season and sent him to the AHL Springfield Falcons. Machessault’s anger and frustration were apparent when he explained why he signed and agreed to go to Springfield in a Howlings interview.

“It’s total BS. I’m second in scoring on the team (Kris Newbury was first) and the Rangers didn’t offer me any NHL money in a new contract. I had signed for just a year. They just offered another AHL deal. Total BS. I will get to the NHL and win the Stanley Cup. Signing with Columbus may be my fastest route,” Marchessault scornfully declared then.

Marchessault is the first undrafted player (signed with the WHA Indianapolis Racers with a personal services contract, or he would have been a Montreal Canadiens draft pick) since Wayne Gretzky in 1988 to win a Conn Smythe Trophy. He scored ten goals that either gave Vegas the lead (six times) or tied the game (four times) during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is just one of three players in the last 35 years to score a goal in the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Rangers weren’t the only team to misjudge Marchessault’s talent.

After one year with Columbus/Springfield and not getting an opportunity, he then signed the following year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Marchessault got in his initial NHL playing time with 47 games over two years but spent most of his three years with the organization in Syracuse.

“Marchie’s” journey then crossed the Sunshine State when he signed with the Florida Panthers. He received his first solid NHL playing time a had a 30-goal campaign six years ago. When the Vegas Golden Knights came into the NHL as a franchise, Marchessault was left exposed by the Panthers and was taken by Vegas in the expansion draft.

The Panthers’ decision to leave Marchessault exposed amazingly came about because the franchise decided to protect two other players, both no longer in the organization, Alex Petrovic (Dallas) and Mark Pysyk (Buffalo), who was coming off his worst defensive year at minus-21.

Marchessault never wavered or accepted no for an answer – ever.

Marchessault was on a two-year deal with the Panthers at a cap-friendly $750K. The following year, he signed a five-year extension for $30 million that expires next year. It also included a modified no-trade clause. He then becomes a UFA.

Since he arrived in the Nevada desert, the 32-year-old has not been a minus player since, as one of the original six Golden Knights, who all started the Cup-clinching game.

Naturally, who scored Vegas’s first goal of the series…Marchessault.

The Connecticut connections in Vegas are numerous. Their backup goalie, Jonathan Quick (Hamden/AOF), Chandler Stephenson, is the nephew of Bob Stephenson, a former Hartford Whaler. Ex-Ranger Brett Howden played for three years in New York.

A trio of ex-Whalers, assistant coach John Stevens Sr., goalie coach Sean Burke who did a superb job with Conn Smythe consideration former Springfield Falcon, Aidin Hill, whose first pro game was against the Wolf Pack, and Murray Craven, is a Senior VP of Operations.

Vegas’ Team President is former New Haven Nighthawk and Ranger George McPhee.

Scouts include ex-Whaler Jim McKenzie (Pro Scout), Connor Jones (Amateur Scout) is a former Quinnipiac University/Bridgeport Sound Tigers/and the grandson of former New Haven Blade Terry Jones) standout and ex-Whaler, Alex Godynyuk (European scout).

Florida had ex-Yale Bulldog goalie Alex Lyon, ex-Pack/Ranger Marc Staal, former Sound Tiger Carter Verhaeghe, former Whaler coach, head coach Paul Maurice, and ex-Pack Sylvain Lefebvre as the Panthers assistant coach.

Pro Scouts Sean Backman (Cos Cob/Yale Univ./Sound Tigers/AOF) and P.J. Fenton (son of Nighthawk/Whaler Paul Fenton)

Two special advisors to the team GM, former Nighthawks coach Rick Dudley and former New Haven Nighthawks and Whalers player PJ’s father, the aforementioned Paul Fenton.

Marchessault now has a Stanley Cup ring and was voted as the Conn Smythe Trophy with the Golden Knights with the second most points of 25, just one behind Jack Eichel.

Quebec City got its Stanley Cup from the Cap-Rouge native, a suburb of the city and hopes Marchessault remembers his declaration and parades the Cup it in front of the iconic Frontenac Hotel along the Quebec City elevated promenade, aside from the St. Lawrence River.

He now joins the pantheon of great Quebec French-Canadian high scoring forwards the game has had from Guy Lafleur, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, Marc Tardif, Andre “The Magician” Lacroix (ex-Whaler), Marcel Dionne, and Real “Buddy” Cloutier.

Not taking no for an answer paid off handsomely for Marchessault.

NAHL DRAFT

The NAHL-North American Hockey League held the last junior draft mid-week, two weeks before the NHL Draft in Nashville at the end of the month.

Taken from Connecticut first, the draft pick El Paso initial was James Mallozzi (New Canaan), selected from Westchester U-16 (T1EHL) in the second round (38th overall) by the Danbury Hat Tricks.

Danbury’s first round (26th overall) was Ethan Farrow, then Jack Wuertz in the second round (36th overall).

Tamás Tóth, from the CT Jr. Rangers (NCDC), who played for the Hungary WJC Division Group 1A team, was taken by the Maryland Black Bears.

Matt Alberti, from Salisbury School, was selected in the third round (71st overall) by Janesville (WI) Jets, and Evan West was taken by the Chippewa (WI) Steel, third round (84th overall), a former Danbury Jr. Hat Trick.

In the fourth round (123rd overall), Danbury took Marius Angelin from Potomac (USPHL Premier), coached by ex-Pack Josh Gratton. The pick belonged to the Amarillo (TX) Wranglers.

Then Roman Winnicki was taken in the fifth round (172nd overall) as the Hat Tricks took him from their NA3HL team and was originally an El Paso draft choice.

Jakub Krizan, from Czechia of the Selects Academy at SKP (South Kent Prep), went in the fifth round, 150th overall, and Jack Keane, in the sixth round, 164th overall, was taken by Danbury.

Then the Maine Nordiques took Lucas DiChiara of Fairfield in the sixth round (172nd overall). The pick originally belonged to the Johnstown (PA) Jets.

Then in the sixth round (190th overall), Geno Carcone was taken by Danbury from Des Moines (USHL). The pick was from the Lone Star (TX) Brahmas.

Then seventh round (196th overall), Jacob Ingstrup was selected by Minot (ND) and the Kent School Lions. Then Danbury took Matt DellaRusso (Darien) from the St. George’s School (RIPREP).

In the ninth round (281st overall), the Minnesota Wilderness took Jack Roberts from the Kent School. The final selection in the 10th round (313th overall) was Michael Murtagh, formerly of The Frederick Gunn School (Washington, CT), playing for the Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL).

NOTES:

The Rangers hired their new bench boss, who played 12 games in 1988-89 for the Blueshirts in his playing days and two seasons for the Binghamton Rangers, who were relocated to Hart City in 1997.

He has now coached six Metropolitan Division teams; NY Islanders, Hurricanes, Washington, Hurricanes, and Flyers.

The Rangers announced assistant coach and former Wolf Pack assistant Gord Murphy had been dismissed, and Kris Knoblauch would be back in Hart City.

Former Sound Tiger Matt Donovan returns to the AHL from Adler Mannheim (Germany-DEL) and signs with the Chicago Wolves.

Lochlan Tetarenko, the son of Beast of New Haven defenseman Joe Tetarenko, signs with Saskatoon (WHL), who drafted him last year from Okotoks (AEHL).

The Bridgeport Islanders’ defenseman Connor McCarthy, signs with HC Banska Bystrica (Slovakia-SLEL). He split the season between Bridgeport and Worcester (ECHL).

Ex-Whaler Mark Hunter of London Knights (OHL) won GM of the year, and Bridgeport Islanders Matt Maggio won the OHL Red Tilson regular season MVP award.

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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