Rising Star: Mason Marchment determined to break out

It took a little while for Mason Marchment to get to this place, but man is he enjoying it now that he's here.
The 27-year-old forward has played just 91 NHL games after spending four seasons in the minors, but this summer, the Stars gave him a four-year free agent contract that averages $4.5 million per season because they believe his best years are ahead.

New head coach Pete DeBoer said Marchment was probably the Stars' best player during the preseason and his ascent to top six forward status in the NHL is pretty incredible.
"He was in the American League three or four years ago, kind of on the fourth line, a disturber, an energy guy," DeBoer said. "He's just gotten better every year. It's an unbelievable story."
Marchment is the son of former NHLer Bryan Marchment, who passed away this summer. He has been able to work his way up through Major Junior hockey and the AHL as a solid "role player." However, he broke out last season on the high-flying Florida Panthers. Marchment had 18 goals and 29 assists for 47 points in 54 games. It was an important step in the process as he gained confidence and then built on it.
"I just think it's confidence," Marchment said of his new-found scoring ability. "When I got put with all of those good players in Florida, I realized that my game helps their game in a way, and when I mentally figured that out, it just made everything easier."
Marchment is seen as a multi-faceted player. He can score goals; he has a high revving motor, so he brings energy to each of his shifts; he is a big body (6'4", 210 lbs) and he likes to hit; and he's really good at finding and keeping pucks, and that is exactly what the Stars are trying to do this year.
"I think I've always had skill, and then I added more to that, and it makes me fit better," Marchment said. "I want to have the puck, and I'm always hungry, so I think that has helped me. I hang onto the puck a little longer now, and I think that opens a lot of things up."
While he was a role player in the AHL, he also found a way to score double digit goals in three seasons with the Toronto Marlies. He was a member of 2017-18 team that beat the Texas Stars for the AHL championship, and current Stars center Roope Hintz remembers playing against Marchment.
"He's always been a hard worker," Hintz said. "He's a great skater, he uses his size well, and he plays hard. He's a great player."
Marchment has been playing with the top skilled forwards so far and should start Thursday on a line with Tyler Seguin and Ty Dellandrea. He is also expected to get power play time, something he didn't really enjoy in Florida. But even though his role might change, his style won't, he said.
"You have to do something that brings value, and if you can do that, you can be a good player," he said. "I do some things that not a lot of other players do, so I try to do them as well as I can. I want to be valued in a way that a lot of guys aren't."
Hintz said he has already seen that in camp.
"He want to win every battle," Hintz said. "He's a big heavy guy and he wants to win every battle, and that's hard to play against."
In fact, DeBoer said that he has been a little surprised by how much Marchment has affected play in the preseason.
"He drags you into the fight," DeBoer said. "The other team knows he's on the ice. He's engaged in a lot of little battles all over the sheet. He's done it the entire camp and the entire preseason, so I'm excited about him."
DeBoer and assistant coach Steve Spott have known the Marchment family for several years, so they are delighted to see the progress. The fact that he's going to be doing it for the Stars makes the story even more intriguing.
"If you would have seen where he was five years ago, it's an amazing trajectory," DeBoer said. "It's simply a case of he never got serious about hockey until a lot later than a lot of other kids. He's just growing into himself and his game, and with that comes confidence."
And while the pressure will be higher along with the paycheck, Marchment said he doesn't really think about that.
"I just worry about my game and what works for me," he said. "When you have success, it makes you feel confident and comfortable, and that makes a big difference."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.