Mason Marchment: From Long Shot to 100 Career NHL Goals

The odds were stacked against Mason Marchment even making it to the NHL. The San Jose Sharks forward was undrafted and although he generated some interest from teams in the AHL once his junior career came to a close, he spent a couple of years in the AHL before he was signed to an NHL contract. Now, he's not only made it to the NHL, he's scored 100 goals at that level.

“It's special," Marchment said after scoring the milestone goal on Wednesday night. "My son was here today. Getting to score for him, it's pretty awesome. For me, especially when I was younger, never thinking I was going to play [in the NHL] to get 100 goals in the National League, it's pretty special.”

Looking at Marchment's career statistically, it makes sense why at one stage he never thought he'd make it to the NHL. First off, only 15% of players in the NHL last season were undrafted according to ESPN. On top of that, during his time with the Toronto Marlies, Marchment was also assigned to the ECHL which has similarly low odds. This season, of the 736 players on opening night rosters across the NHL, only 64 of them were ECHL alumni. That's less than 9% of the NHL.

Despite odds being stacked against him, Marchment grinded his way through the ranks of minor league hockey. After having success, including a Calder Cup, with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, he finally caught the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs who signed him to his first NHL contract in 2018. He made his NHL debut as a member of the Leafs during the 2019-20 season, but his first goal wouldn't come until the following season, when he was a member of the Florida Panthers. 

Since arriving in the NHL, he's had to move around quite a bit. From Florida, he went to Dallas, then Seattle and Columbus, and finally he found a home in San Jose this summer when he signed a long-term deal to return to the organization that his father, Bryan Marchment, had significant history with.

After spending the majority of his career with the percentages against him, now he has a massively positive one in his favor. Of the over 8,000 players to make an appearance in the NHL over the years, only 1,290 have been able to cross the 100-goal threshold in their career. Now, Marchment will forever be included in that exclusive club.