Mike Marson
Born (1955-07-24) July 24, 1955
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
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
NHL Draft 19th overall, 1974
Washington Capitals
Playing career 1974–1981

Michael Robert Marson (born July 24, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals and the Los Angeles Kings from 1974 to 1979. He was the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL.

Hockey career

Amateur

As a youth, Marson played in the 1968 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Wexford, Toronto.[1] During the 1973–74 OHA season, he was named a second team all-star, and led the Sudbury Wolves with 94 points at age 18.[2]

Professional

Marson was drafted as the first pick of the 2nd Round, 19th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft.[3] He signed a five-year contract with the Capitals and would become the second Black Canadian to play in the NHL, following Willie O'Ree.[4] He was available in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft because of league's decision to allow drafting of underage players that year.

His first NHL game was also the first game in Washington Capitals franchise history played on October 9, 1974.[5][6] He recorded his best NHL season as a rookie when he scored 16 goals, added 12 assists for 28 points in 76 games.[7]

Marson claims to have encountered discrimination early in his first season, and has recalled having the racial slurs "nigger" and "sambo" yelled at him during his first game at Maple Leaf Gardens against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[8]

His teammates expressed how the slurs and taunts adversely impacted Marson: "There were racial slurs that were fired and he'd be quick [to react]. He had a short fuse. The next thing you knew, he'd be involved in something. It was hard for him to work on his game. And he could skate. He was one of the best skaters in the league, but he spent so much energy having to defend himself," said teammate Ron Lalonde.[9]

He also was the target of numerous death threats.[10]

Marson struggled with weight problems and alcoholism during his career. [11]

In all, Marson played 196 games in the NHL (193 with Washington and three with Los Angeles). He totaled 48 points on 24 goals and 24 assists and amassed 233 penalty minutes.[12]

During his career in the American Hockey League, Marson played for the Baltimore Clippers, Springfield Indians, Hershey Bears, Philadelphia Firebirds, and Binghamton Dusters.[13]

Personal life

Marson attended classes at the University of Maryland during his playing days in Washington.

At age 17, while playing junior hockey in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, he suffered the loss of his mother who died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. Nearly four years later, he was dealt another personal tragedy when his younger brother passed suddenly at the age of 20. [14]

After his hockey playing career ended in 1980 he studied Martial arts. Marson became a seventh degree black belt in the Japanese style of Shotokan, attaining the status of Master-Shihan.[15] Marson has developed an off-ice martial arts training program for hockey players designed to improve timing, focus and confidence. Former NHL player Rick Nash was a student of the program. [15]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1971–72 Chatham Junior Maroons SOHL ————— —————
1972–73 Sudbury Wolves OHA 57122133117 41012
1973–74 Sudbury Wolves OHA 69355994146 41010
1974–75 Washington Capitals NHL 7616122859 —————
1975–76 Washington Capitals NHL 57471150 —————
1975–76 Baltimore Clippers AHL 1213416 —————
1976–77 Washington Capitals NHL 1001118 —————
1976–77 Springfield Indians AHL 6615173281 —————
1977–78 Washington Capitals NHL 46448101 —————
1977–78 Hershey Bears AHL 2053835 —————
1978–79 Washington Capitals NHL 40000 —————
1978–79 Philadelphia Firebirds AHL 632519 —————
1978–79 Binghamton Dusters AHL 68121123132 1043720
1979–80 Los Angeles Kings NHL 30005 —————
1979–80 Binghamton Dusters AHL 58781585 —————
AHL totals 230434487368 1043720
NHL totals 196242448233 —————

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  2. ↑ "Sudbury Wolves 1973-74 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  3. ↑ "NHL Records". records.nhl.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  4. ↑ Brown, Katie (March 28, 2016). "Mike Marson honored by Capitals". NHL.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Caps History: Opening Night - Oct. 9, 1974". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Mike Marson 1974-75 Game Log". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  7. ↑ "Mike Marson Stats". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  8. ↑ "Black hockey players fight racism in NHL". The Varsity. December 1, 1986. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Against the Odds: Remembering Mike Marson's Career with the Caps". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  10. ↑ "Against the Odds: Remembering Mike Marson's Career with the Caps". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  11. ↑ "Against the Odds: Remembering Mike Marson's Career with the Caps". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  12. ↑ "Mike Marson Stats". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  13. ↑ "Hockey Reference: Mike Marson".
  14. ↑ "Mike Marson on challenges he faced as NHL's second black player - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  15. 1 2 Amato, Michael (March 27, 2017). "BACKCHECKING: MIKE MARSON". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
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