March Madness is almost here, but Marchment Madness has already arrived in South Florida. Twenty-six-year-old winger Mason Marchment continued his breakout season on Friday night by recording his first career hat trick in a 6-2 Panthers win over the Wild in Minnesota.
The three-goal game comes amid a torrid stretch for the Ontario native, who has 15 points (nine goals, seven assists) in his last seven games, including six (two goals, four assists) on Jan. 31 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. That output actually tied Olli Jokinen’s franchise record for most points in a game.
On the season, Marchment is averaging over a point per game, registering 27 (11 goals, 16 assists) in the 25 games he has appeared in. His breakout has helped contribute to Florida’s 35-10-5 record, which is the best in the Eastern Conference and the second-best in the NHL. Here’s how he got to this point.
Marchment’s Strong Hockey Bloodlines
Hockey has always been a constant presence in Marchment’s life. His father, Bryan Marchment, was the 16th overall pick in the 1987 NHL Draft and played 926 games in the NHL as a defenseman. The elder Marchment played for nine different teams (Winnipeg, Chicago, Hartford, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, San Jose, Colorado, Toronto, and Calgary) during his 17 seasons in the league.
Mason’s cousin, Kennedy Marchment, is also a professional hockey player. She currently plays in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL), where she started her career in 2018 with Linkoping before moving over to HV71. The 25-year-old posted 72 points (28 goals, 44 assists) in 34 games for HV71 last season, good for second in the league.
Marchment’s Long Road to the NHL
Mason’s path to the NHL was not as straight as his dad’s. He didn’t play major junior hockey until he was 19, scoring 22 goals and adding 21 assists in 51 games for the Cobourg Cougars of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in 2013-14. He then played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) before signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016.
Marchment spent most of the next three years with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). Finally, on New Year’s Day 2020, the 25-year-old was called up to the NHL as an injury replacement. He made his debut on Jan. 2, registering a shot in 6:50 of ice time for the Maple Leafs against the Winnipeg Jets. The left winger tallied an assist in four appearances for the Maple Leafs.
Emergence in Florida
On Feb. 19, 2020, Marchment was traded to the Panthers for center Denis Malgin, who now plays in Switzerland. Florida re-signed Marchment prior to the 2020-21 season and gave him a one-year extension in April of 2021. He played 33 games for the Panthers last season, registering 10 points (two goals, eight assists).
Marchment has blown past those totals this season, as he already has nine more goals and seven more points through nine less games. He has recorded at least a point in 15 of his 24 games. After zero multi-point performances in his first 37 career games, he’s had five outings with at least two points this season, including the six-point night and the hat trick.
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The Panthers and their fans are glad they made the 2020 trade for Marchment, as he has blossomed before their very eyes, turning into a key bottom-six forward for arguably the deepest team in the league. If he continues on his current trajectory, it will help the Panthers continue on their current trajectory, which could result in a Stanley Cup title.
