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 | ||
Michael Robert Marson (born July 24, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL). Mike played for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings. His career in the NHL lasted from 1974 to 1979. He was also the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL.
Contents
Mike Marson's Hockey Journey
Early Hockey Days
When Mike Marson was a kid, he loved playing hockey. In 1968, he played in a big youth hockey tournament. It was called the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played with a team from Wexford, Toronto.
Later, during the 1973–74 hockey season, Mike was a star player. He was named a second team all-star. At just 18 years old, he led his team, the Sudbury Wolves, with 94 points. This showed he was a very talented player.
Becoming a Professional Player
In 1974, Mike Marson was chosen in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft. The Washington Capitals picked him as the 19th player overall. He was the first pick in the second round. Mike signed a five-year contract with the Capitals.
He made history by becoming the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL. The first was Willie O'Ree. Mike's first NHL game was also the very first game for the Washington Capitals team. This exciting game happened on October 9, 1974.
NHL Career Highlights
Mike had his best season as a rookie player. A rookie is a player in their first year. He scored 16 goals and made 12 assists. This gave him a total of 28 points in 76 games. He was a strong skater and a valuable player.
During his career, Mike Marson faced some difficult situations. His teammates noticed that these challenges made it hard for him to focus on his game. Despite this, he continued to play with determination.
In total, Mike Marson played 196 games in the NHL. He played 193 games with Washington and three with Los Angeles. He scored 24 goals and had 24 assists, totaling 48 points. He also spent 233 minutes in penalties.
Besides the NHL, Mike also played in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played for several AHL teams. These included the Baltimore Clippers, Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears, Philadelphia Firebirds, and Binghamton Dusters.
Life After Hockey
After his hockey career ended in 1980, Mike Marson explored new interests. He started studying Martial arts. He became very skilled in the Japanese style of Shotokan. He earned a seventh-degree black belt. This means he reached the high rank of Master-Shihan.
Mike Marson used his martial arts knowledge to help other hockey players. He created a special training program. This program helps players improve their timing, focus, and confidence. Former NHL player Rick Nash even trained with Mike's program.
Mike also took classes at the University of Maryland while he was playing hockey in Washington.
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
