Jonathan Marchessault facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jonathan Marchessault
Marchessault with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018
Born	(1990-12-27) December 27, 1990 (age 34) Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position	Forward
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Nashville Predators Columbus Blue Jackets Tampa Bay Lightning Florida Panthers Vegas Golden Knights
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2011–present

Jonathan Marchessault (born December 27, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a forward for the Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Predators, he played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Even though he was not chosen in the NHL draft, Marchessault started his professional career in 2011 in the American Hockey League (AHL). He signed his first NHL contract with the Blue Jackets in 2012. He became a regular player with the Lightning in the 2015–16 season. After that, he moved to the Florida Panthers, where he had a fantastic season, scoring 30 goals.

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights picked Marchessault in the 2017 NHL expansion draft. He quickly became a very important player for the team. He helped the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Finals in their very first season, which was a huge achievement! He was chosen to represent the Golden Knights in the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. In 2023, he led his team to win the Stanley Cup. Marchessault also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2023 playoffs. He was the first player not chosen in the draft to win this award since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

Playing career

As a young player, Marchessault played in the 2003 and 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments. He played for a youth hockey team from Rive-Nord, Quebec.

Junior hockey years

Marchessault played all his junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He joined the team when he was 16 years old for the 2007–08 season.

In the 2009–10 season, Marchessault won the Gaétan Duchesne Trophy. This award is given to the QMJHL's best defensive player. He was also named Player of the Week in both the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in December 2010.

In his last junior season (2010–11), Marchessault was an alternate captain for Quebec. He finished sixth in scoring in the QMJHL regular season. He also led the league with 11 game-winning goals. In the 2011 playoffs, he was the top scorer in the QMJHL. This was special because his team was eliminated before the final round.

Marchessault received the Bud Light Cup as Quebec's player of the year. He was also named a QMJHL First Team All-Star.

Professional hockey journey

Starting with the Connecticut Whale

Jonathan Marchessault was not picked in any NHL entry draft. On June 23, 2011, he signed his first professional contract. This was with the Connecticut Whale, an AHL team linked to the New York Rangers.

Marchessault in 2013

In his second professional game on October 9, 2011, Marchessault scored the winning goal in a shootout. He scored his first regular goal on October 22. In his first professional season, he led the Whale with 64 points. He had 40 assists and 24 goals.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2012–2013)

After the 2011–12 season, Marchessault signed a three-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played the next season for their AHL team, the Springfield Falcons. He led the team in scoring and was named a First Team AHL All-Star.

On March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This trade happened on the trade deadline that season.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2014–2016)

Marchessault during a warm-up in 2015

On April 11, 2015, the Lightning called Marchessault up from their AHL team, the Syracuse Crunch. He played in the final game of the regular season. On that day, he scored his first ever NHL goal and point. This happened in Tampa Bay's 3–2 shootout win against the Boston Bruins. He was named the game's first star.

The next day, he was sent back to Syracuse for their playoffs. After the Crunch were eliminated, Marchessault joined the Lightning for practice. He made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Lightning won, eliminating the Canadiens from the playoffs.

On June 28, 2015, the Lightning signed Marchessault again for one year. He played in two Stanley Cup playoff games and two regular season games in the 2014–15 season. He also played in 68 AHL games, where he was sixth in the league for assists.

Florida Panthers (2016–2017)

After three seasons with the Lightning, Marchessault became a free agent. He signed a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers on July 1, 2016. In the 2016–17 season, Marchessault had a great start with the Panthers. He had a "breakout" season, scoring 30 goals and 51 points in 75 games. He was the first Panthers player to score 30 goals since David Booth in the 2008–09 season.

Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2024)

Marchessault playing against the Seattle Kraken in 2024.

On June 21, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights chose Marchessault in the 2017 NHL expansion draft. On January 3, 2018, Marchessault signed a six-year contract extension with the Golden Knights. He became one of the team's top players. He had 75 points in the regular season and 21 points in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. He led the team in playoff scoring with eight goals. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season, which was amazing for an expansion team.

In the 2018–19 season, he scored 25 goals and had 34 assists. The Golden Knights played the San Jose Sharks in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Marchessault scored a goal to tie Game 7 in the last minute, but the Sharks won in overtime.

Marchessault scored his first playoff hat-trick against the Colorado Avalanche on June 6, 2021. This helped Vegas tie the series 2–2 in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup semifinals but lost to the Montreal Canadiens.

The 2021–22 season was tough for the Golden Knights due to many injuries. They missed the playoffs for the first time. However, Marchessault had a strong season. He matched his career high in goals and led the team in points. He was the Golden Knights' player chosen for the 2022 NHL All-Star Game.

The Golden Knights improved in the 2022–23 season. They finished first in their conference and made it to the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Marchessault scored 28 goals and 57 points in the regular season. He started the playoffs slowly but then became a scoring machine. He scored his second playoff hat-trick against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6, helping to eliminate them.

In the conference finals against the Dallas Stars, Marchessault scored a late goal to tie Game 2. The Golden Knights won in overtime. The Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time, playing against his old team, the Panthers.

Marchessault kept scoring a lot of goals. Many people thought he would win the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Golden Knights won. The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in five games. Marchessault tied for the most goals in the playoffs (13) and was second in points (25). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff's most valuable player.

He was the 10th player not chosen in the draft to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He was the first since Wayne Gretzky in 1988. Marchessault was one of six original Golden Knights players who were still with the team when they won their first Stanley Cup.

Nashville Predators (2024–present)

After the 2023–24 season, where he scored a career-high 42 goals, Marchessault left the Golden Knights. On July 1, 2024, he signed a five-year contract with the Nashville Predators.

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Championships
Silver	2019 Slovakia

On April 29, 2019, Marchessault was chosen to play for the Canada national team. He played in the 2019 World Championship. He helped Canada reach the final game, but they lost to Finland. Canada won the silver medal on May 26, 2019. Marchessault scored three goals and had seven assists in 10 games during the tournament.

Personal life

Early in his career, Marchessault was known as Jonathan Audy-Marchessault. In 2013, he dropped "Audy" from his last name to make it shorter for his child. Marchessault and his wife have four children. They live in Summerlin, Nevada.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2019	Canada	WC			10	3	7	10	8
Senior totals					10	3	7	10	8

Awards and honours