LOS ANGELES -- Alexandra and Jonathan Marchessault were expecting, but they were not expecting this. Their third child was due April 20. That seemed safe. Jonathan played for an expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights.
"I thought this year we probably wouldn't make the playoffs," he said.
Oops.
Marchessault enjoying playoff success, being wanted by Golden Knights
Forward happy to find home with Vegas as part of first-year team
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One week ago, on the Thursday between Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference First Round, Jonathan didn't go to the rink. Alexandra was induced and gave birth to a boy named William.
The next day, Jonathan visited them at the hospital, went to the morning skate, went back to the hospital, came home for a nap, went to T-Mobile Arena and played double overtime, earning an assist in a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Now that the Golden Knights have swept the Kings, he has a chance to spend time with his family and recharge for the Western Conference Second Round against the San Jose Sharks.
"It's definitely a busy time right now," Marchessault said. "You've got to take care of your body, and that's what I'm doing right now. We all rely on each other here, and whatever happens in your personal life, when you come to the rink, you need to be ready to give your 100 percent. When you go back at home, I need to be a good father and be present. I think I'm well-balancing that."
Home? Did you hear that word?
That's a key theme in this story -- Marchessault's in particular and the Golden Knights' in general.
From the business staff to the front office to the coaching staff to the players, the Golden Knights are a group of people from other places who came to Las Vegas, a city of natives and transplants, a place outsiders sometimes don't take seriously, and became its first major league professional sports team.
Their slogan is "Vegas born," but it becomes more than a slogan when their kids are born in Vegas. They have become part of the community and a source of civic pride, doing what others didn't think possible. Before their first two playoff games, they played a video montage of fans set to Patrick Stump's "This City."
"This city is my city/ And I love it. Yeah, I love it / I was born and raised here/ I got it made here/ And if I have my way, I'm gonna stay/ Forever."
Marchessault was born in Cap-Rouge, Quebec. Undersized, he was underappreciated as a player. Undrafted into the NHL, he played two games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2012-13, two for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2014-15 and 45 for the Lightning in 2015-16.
He broke out with the Florida Panthers last season with 51 points (30 goals, 21 assists) in 75 games. Still, the Panthers left him exposed in the NHL Expansion Draft. He was listed at 5 feet 9, 174 pounds.
"A lot of people thought that I couldn't do it again," he said. "So definitely all my career, just go against the odds every time. Just trying to surprise the hockey world. It was ever since I was young that people didn't think I was going to make that team, be successful at that level. I was able to do it."
Marchessault had 75 points (27 goals, 48 assists) in 77 games to help the Golden Knights win the Pacific Division and shatter records for teams in their inaugural seasons. On Jan. 3, he signed a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million. The Golden Knights wanted him. He wanted to be in Vegas.
"I think that's what every hockey player wants, to have a home," he said. "I found my home. Honestly it's not every year that you're able to be on a team that you just love every one of them. I think everyone here, we've been through something special. I can guarantee you everyone here wants to stay here."
The Kings were the best defensive team in the NHL in the regular season. They made life difficult for the Golden Knights' top line and allowed Vegas seven goals in the series. In Game 3, defenseman Drew Doughty smacked Marchessault in the back of the head twice, goading him into a high-sticking penalty, and then mocked him by clapping his gloves and tapping his right index finger against his temple.
But the Golden Knights allowed the Kings three goals in the series and made enough plays to win.
In Game 4, Marchessault took a hit along the boards at the Vegas blue line and backhanded a pass into the neutral zone, setting up a 3-on-2 rush. Center William Karlsson carried the puck up the left wing and dropped it. Linemate Reilly Smith passed left to right for defenseman Brayden McNabb, who scored on a one-timer. The Golden Knights won 1-0 to complete the sweep.
Afterward, Marchessault used that word again.
"I think it just shows that we have a lot of character," he said. "We're all happy to be here. We all feel lucky to be able to have a home in the NHL, and everybody wants to play for the Golden Knights."
