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	Left wing
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.

Jonathan was not chosen in the NHL Entry Draft, which means he was "undrafted." Many thought he was too small to play professional hockey. But he started his career in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2011. He signed his first NHL contract with the Blue Jackets in 2012. He became a regular player for the Lightning in the 2015–16 season. Then he moved to the Florida Panthers, where he had a great season, scoring 30 goals.

In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights picked him in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Marchessault became a key player for the Golden Knights. He helped them become the first expansion team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in their very first season. He was chosen to represent the Golden Knights in the All-Star Game in 2022. In 2023, he led his team to win the Stanley Cup. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. This made him the first undrafted player to win this award since Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

Jonathan Marchessault's Hockey Journey

Early Years in Junior Hockey

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

He spent his entire junior hockey career with the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He joined the team at 16 years old for the 2007–08 season. The Remparts had drafted him in the 12th round.

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 for the QMJHL and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in December 2010.

In his last junior hockey season, 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 led the QMJHL in scoring. This was special because his team was eliminated in the semi-finals. He was the first player to lead playoff scoring without playing in the final round.

Marchessault was named QMJHL Top Star of the Week in September 2010. He was also CHL Player of the Week in April 2011 during the QMJHL playoffs. At the end of the season, he won the Bud Light Cup as Quebec's player of the year. He was also named a QMJHL First Team All-Star.

Becoming a Professional Player

Starting with the Connecticut Whale

Jonathan Marchessault was not chosen in any NHL Entry Draft. But 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. He joined former teammates Ryan Bourque and Kelsey Tessier there. Marchessault started his professional career in the 2011–12 season with the Whale.

Jonathan Marchessault in 2013

On October 9, 2011, in only his second professional game, Marchessault scored the game-winning shootout goal. This was against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored his first regular goal on October 22, 2011, against the Springfield Falcons. In his first professional season, Marchessault tied for the Whale team lead with 64 points. He led the team with 40 assists and scored 24 goals.

Playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets

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

Starting with the 2013–14 season, Marchessault dropped "Audy" from his last name. On March 5, 2014, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This trade happened on the trade deadline that season.

Marchessault during a warm-up in 2015

Joining the Tampa Bay Lightning

On April 11, 2015, the Lightning called Marchessault up from their AHL team, the Syracuse Crunch. He was needed for the final game of the regular season. At that time, he had 41 assists and 64 points in 64 games with Syracuse. On April 11, he scored his first ever NHL goal and point. This happened in a 3–2 shootout win against the Boston Bruins. He was even named the game's first star. The next day, he went back to Syracuse for their playoffs.

After the Crunch were out of the AHL playoffs, Marchessault was called back to practice with the Lightning. He was an extra player in case of injuries. He made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in a 4–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. This helped the Lightning eliminate 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 for the Lightning. He scored one goal in the regular season. He also played in 68 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch, where he was sixth in the league for assists.

Moving to the Florida Panthers

After three seasons with the Lightning, Marchessault became a free agent. On July 1, 2016, he signed a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers. In the 2016–17 season, Marchessault had a fantastic start with the Panthers. He had a "break-out" season, meaning he played much better than expected. In his first full NHL season, he led the Panthers with 30 goals and 51 points in 75 games. He was the first Panther to score 30 goals since David Booth in 2009.

Becoming a Golden Knight

Marchessault making a play in front of Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken during the 2024 Winter Classic.

On June 21, 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights picked Marchessault in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. On January 3, 2018, Marchessault signed a six-year contract extension with the Golden Knights. He scored 75 points in the regular season and 21 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This showed he was one of the best wingers in the league. He led the team in playoff scoring with eight goals. The Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Finals in their very first season!

He scored 25 goals and 34 assists in the 2018–19 NHL season. 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 still won in overtime. After the game, he spoke out about a major penalty call against his teammate Cody Eakin.

Marchessault scored his first playoff hat-trick (three goals in one game) for the Golden Knights. This was against the Colorado Avalanche on June 6, 2021, in Game 4 of their second-round series. This helped Vegas tie the series at 2–2. The Golden Knights reached the conference finals for the third time in four seasons. But they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.

The 2021–22 season was tough for the Golden Knights. Many key players were injured, and they missed the playoffs for the first time. However, Marchessault had a strong season. He tied his career high in goals and led the team in points. He was chosen to represent the Golden Knights at the 2022 All-Star Game.

The Golden Knights played much better in the 2022–23 season. They finished first in the Western 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, with only two assists in the first seven games. But then he started scoring a lot! He scored his second playoff hat trick in Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers, helping to eliminate them. In the Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, Marchessault scored a late goal to tie Game 2. The Golden Knights won that game in overtime. The Knights reached the Cup Finals for the second time. They faced Marchessault's old team, the Panthers.

Marchessault kept scoring many goals. Many people in the media thought he would win the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Golden Knights won. This award is for the most valuable player of the playoffs. The Golden Knights won the Cup in a five-game series. Marchessault tied Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers for the most goals in the playoffs (13). He was second in points (25), just one behind his teammate Jack Eichel. Because of his amazing play, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy.

He was the tenth undrafted player to win the Smythe Trophy. He was the first since Wayne Gretzky in 1988. But some say he was the "first true undrafted player" to win it. This is because earlier winners either came from a different league or an era where teams could sign young players differently. Marchessault was simply overlooked in the draft. He was one of six original Golden Knights players who were still with the team for their first Stanley Cup win. The others were William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, and William Carrier.

Joining the Nashville Predators

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

International Play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Championships
Silver	2019 Slovakia

On April 29, 2019, Marchessault played in his first international tournament. He was chosen for the Team Canada roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. He played on Canada's first line. He helped Canada reach the final game, but they lost to Finland. They won the Silver Medal on May 26, 2019. Marchessault scored 3 goals and had 10 points 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 legal last name to make it shorter for his child. Marchessault and his wife have four children. The family lives in Summerlin, Nevada.

Awards and Honours