Mike Marson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Marson |
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| Born | July 24, 1955 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Washington Capitals Los Angeles Kings |
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| NHL Draft | 19th overall, 1974 Washington Capitals |
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| Playing career | 1974–1981 | ||
Mike Marson (born July 24, 1955) is a former professional ice hockey player from Canada. He played as a left winger for six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings between 1974 and 1979. Mike Marson made history as the second Black Canadian to ever play in the NHL.
Contents
Hockey Career Highlights
Early Hockey Days
Mike Marson started playing hockey when he was young. In 1968, he played in the famous Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. When he was 18, he was a star player for the Sudbury Wolves. He scored 94 points in the 1973–74 season, which was the most on his team.
Becoming a Professional Player
The Washington Capitals picked Mike Marson in the 1974 NHL Draft. He was the 19th player chosen overall. He signed a five-year contract with the team. This was a big moment because he became only the second Black Canadian player in NHL history. The first was Willie O'Ree.
Mike's first NHL game was also the very first game for the Washington Capitals team. This happened on October 9, 1974. As a rookie, he had his best NHL season. He scored 16 goals and made 12 assists, totaling 28 points in 76 games.
Mike Marson was known for his amazing skating speed. His teammates said he was one of the best skaters in the league. However, he faced many challenges during his career. He had to deal with unfair comments and threats. This made it hard for him to focus on his game.
In total, Mike Marson played 196 games in the NHL. He scored 24 goals and made 24 assists, for a total of 48 points. He also spent 233 minutes in the penalty box.
Besides the NHL, Mike also played in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played for teams like the Baltimore Clippers, Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears, Philadelphia Firebirds, and Binghamton Dusters.
Life After Hockey
Education and Personal Challenges
While playing for the Capitals, Mike Marson took classes at the University of Maryland. He faced personal sadness during his younger years. At age 17, his mother passed away suddenly. A few years later, his younger brother also passed away at age 20.
Martial Arts and Training
After his hockey career ended in 1980, Mike Marson began studying Martial arts. He became a very skilled martial artist. He earned a seventh-degree black belt in Shotokan, a Japanese style. He achieved the rank of Master-Shihan.
Mike has used his martial arts knowledge to help hockey players. He created a special training program for them. This program helps players improve their timing, focus, and confidence. Former NHL player Rick Nash was one of the athletes who trained with Mike.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1971–72 | Chatham Junior Maroons | SOHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Sudbury Wolves | OHA | 57 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 117 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1973–74 | Sudbury Wolves | OHA | 69 | 35 | 59 | 94 | 146 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1974–75 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 76 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 57 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 66 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 46 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 20 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Firebirds | AHL | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Binghamton Dusters | AHL | 68 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 132 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1979–80 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Binghamton Dusters | AHL | 58 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 230 | 43 | 44 | 87 | 368 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 20 | ||||
| NHL totals | 196 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 233 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
See also
