Patrick Maroon

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    Image of Player Patrick Maroon

    Patrick Maroon Bio

    Patrick Maroon (born April 23, 1988) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed “Big Rig,” Maroon suited up for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks across a 17-year NHL career that began in 2011. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won the trophy in three consecutive seasons with the Blues in 2019 and the Lightning in 2020 and 2021. Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and playing at around 230 pounds, Maroon built a reputation as a powerful power forward who could protect the puck, screen goalies, and play alongside some of the league’s most skilled centers.

    Early Life and Background

    Patrick Maroon was born on April 23, 1988, in St. Louis, Missouri, to parents Patti and Phil Maroon. He grew up as the youngest of four siblings, with two brothers, Justin and Phil, and a sister. His father had played Division I soccer at St. Louis University and originally hoped his sons would follow him into the sport, but the family’s love for hockey ultimately prevailed. Phil Maroon owned season tickets to the St. Louis Blues, and young Patrick would alternate attending games with his brother, sometimes sitting on his father’s lap to catch a better view of the action.

    Maroon attended Rogers Elementary, Oakville Middle School, and Oakville High School in St. Louis County, Missouri, though he left before graduating to pursue junior-level hockey. He played minor ice hockey for the St. Louis Amateur Blues from 2003 to 2005, where his large frame earned him the nickname “Fat Pat.” To sharpen his playmaking skills, he spent hours stickhandling a golf ball in his garage and skating at local roller rinks. As a youth, he represented the St. Louis Blues minor ice hockey team at the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.

    Path to Hockey

    By the 2005–06 season, Maroon had joined the Texarkana Bandits of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), a team recently purchased by former NHL player Kelly Chase and Hall of Fame defenseman Al MacInnis. In his first season with the Bandits, he posted 60 points in 57 games and was named to the NAHL All-Rookie Team. The following year, after losing 30 pounds during the summer, he erupted for 95 points in 57 games, won the NAHL MVP award, and led the Bandits to their first Robertson Cup National Championship. He set a league record with 23 points in 12 playoff games that spring.

    Maroon was drafted 161st overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, becoming the first Texarkana player to hear his name called. Following the draft, he was assigned to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, where he was named team MVP and led the club with 90 points in 64 games. He also spent one game with the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, at the end of the 2007–08 season, beginning his transition to professional hockey.

    Patrick Maroon Career

    Early Career (2008–2011)

    Maroon began his first full professional season with the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2008–09, ranking fourth on the team with 54 points in 80 games. The following year, the Phantoms were the only AHL team to score fewer than 200 goals, and Maroon set a new career high with 33 assists. During the summer of 2010, he led the United States men’s national inline hockey team to a gold medal at the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship in Karlstad, Sweden, scoring 14 points in six games.

    After returning to the Phantoms out of shape, Maroon was released by the AHL club. His agent attempted to arrange opportunities in the ECHL or in Switzerland, but the Flyers refused to release his rights. He skated with the Montclair State University Red Hawks men’s hockey team for two months to stay in shape. On November 21, 2010, Philadelphia traded him and David Laliberté to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Rob Bordson and Danny Syvret, giving Maroon a fresh start in Southern California.

    Anaheim Ducks Breakthrough (2011–2016)

    Assigned to the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, Maroon scored 11 minutes into his debut and finished with 48 points in 57 games. He made his NHL debut on October 25, 2011, against the Chicago Blackhawks, logging 15:19 of ice time. After brief stints in the AHL and NHL during 2012–13, he established himself as a full-time NHL player in 2013–14, appearing in 62 games with 11 goals and 18 assists. In the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, he became one of Anaheim’s most dangerous scorers, netting eight goals in 16 games while playing on the Ducks’ top line.

    The following season, Maroon struggled to find consistency and was demoted to the fourth line. On February 29, 2016, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Martin Gernát and a fourth-round pick. He scored a goal against his former organization in his Oilers debut, marking a personal turning point. Reflecting on the move, Maroon said the trade brought him back to his difficult days in Philadelphia and motivated him to reinvent himself.

    Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils Era (2016–2018)

    In Edmonton, Maroon found a perfect fit skating alongside superstar center Connor McDavid. He dropped roughly 15 pounds and 3 percent body fat during the offseason under the guidance of head strength and conditioning coach Chad Drummond. On October 12, 2016, he scored the first goal in the history of Rogers Place, the Oilers’ new arena. On January 5, 2017, he recorded his first career NHL hat trick in a 4–3 win over the Boston Bruins, ending a long Edmonton losing streak against Boston.

    Maroon finished 2016–17 with a career-high 27 goals and 15 assists, the best offensive season ever by an NHL player born and raised in St. Louis. He was named Edmonton’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and helped the Oilers reach the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he scored a key goal in Game 5 against the San Jose Sharks. On February 25, 2018, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils, where he registered 13 points in 16 games before undergoing offseason back surgery.

    St. Louis Blues Era (2018–2019)

    On July 10, 2018, Maroon signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract with his hometown St. Louis Blues, the team he had grown up watching with his father. He recorded 28 points in 74 regular-season games as the Blues mounted a historic second-half charge. In the 2019 playoffs, Maroon scored the double-overtime game-winning goal in Game 7 of the second round against the Dallas Stars. On June 12, 2019, he helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games.

    Tampa Bay Lightning Era (2019–2023)

    On August 24, 2019, Maroon signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, reuniting with head coach Jon Cooper, who had coached him years earlier in Texarkana. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup on September 28, 2020, making Maroon one of the few players in NHL history to win back-to-back championships with different teams. On July 7, 2021, Tampa Bay captured the Cup again, and Maroon became the first player to win three consecutive Stanley Cups in different uniforms since the expansion era began in 1967.

    Maroon signed a two-year extension and helped the Lightning reach the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. In 2022–23, he led the league with 150 penalty minutes while recording 14 points in 80 games. On July 2, 2023, his four-year Tampa Bay tenure ended when he was traded, along with Maxim Čajkovič, to the Minnesota Wild for a 2024 seventh-round pick.

    Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks Era (2023–2025)

    Maroon played in every Minnesota Wild game before suffering an injury on January 27, 2024, against the Anaheim Ducks. He underwent back surgery in February and was later traded to the Boston Bruins on March 8, 2024. After recovering on long-term injured reserve, he made his Bruins debut on April 13, 2024, and recorded an assist in his first playoff game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a free agent, he signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2024.

    On March 22, 2025, Maroon announced in a pregame television interview in his hometown of St. Louis that he would retire at the end of the season. He played his final NHL game on April 13, 2025, in the Blackhawks’ last home game, receiving a video tribute, a standing ovation, and a handshake line from the visiting Winnipeg Jets.

    Driving Style and Strengths

    Maroon built his game around a rare combination of size, strength, and surprisingly soft hands. He was especially effective along the boards and in front of the net, where he could shield the puck and create screens for goalies. Skating alongside elite playmakers like Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Connor McDavid, he developed into a reliable finisher and forechecker who could also contribute on the power play. His willingness to play through pain and his infectious personality made him a respected locker-room presence throughout the league.

    Notable Events and Milestones

    Among the highlights of Maroon’s career were his first NHL goal with the Ducks, his first career hat trick with the Oilers, the first-ever goal at Rogers Place, and his game-winning double-overtime tally against the Dallas Stars in the 2019 playoffs. His three consecutive Stanley Cup championships with three different franchises placed him in rare historical company, while his 2025 retirement announcement in St. Louis provided a fitting conclusion to a storybook NHL journey.

    Patrick Maroon Career Wins

    Patrick Maroon retired with three Stanley Cup championships, all earned over three consecutive seasons. His offensive totals across the regular season and playoffs include hundreds of NHL games and consistent secondary scoring, with his most productive stretch coming during his time in Edmonton and Tampa Bay.

    NHL Highlights

    Maroon’s first Stanley Cup came in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, ending the franchise’s long championship drought. He followed that with back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, joining a select group of players to win consecutive titles with different teams. He also set a personal best with 27 goals in 2016–17 and recorded his first career hat trick on January 5, 2017, against the Boston Bruins.

    Other Wins and Performances

    Before the NHL, Maroon captured the 2007 Robertson Cup National Championship with the Texarkana Bandits and won a gold medal with the United States at the 2010 IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship. He also represented Team USA at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, becoming the first American to play both an inline and ice hockey world championship.

    Patrick Maroon Family

    Family Background and Racing Lineage

    Maroon comes from a close-knit St. Louis family. His parents, Patti and Phil Maroon, raised four children and nurtured a deep love for the St. Louis Blues. His father, a former Division I soccer player at St. Louis University, encouraged his sons’ athletic pursuits and owned season tickets that helped shape Patrick’s passion for hockey.

    Personal Life

    Maroon is married to Francesca Vangel, a St. Louis native whose family operates the well-known restaurant Charlie Gitto’s. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple helped distribute food from the restaurant to the Clayton, Missouri, Police Department and Fire Department. Maroon has a son from a previous relationship, and the family continues to be based in the St. Louis area.

    2025 Season Performance

    Maroon entered the 2024–25 season with the Chicago Blackhawks on a one-year contract, serving as a veteran presence in the locker room. Limited by injuries and a reduced role, he appeared in a handful of games as the Blackhawks continued their rebuilding process. On March 22, 2025, in a pregame interview before a game in St. Louis, he announced that the 2024–25 campaign would be his final NHL season.

    His last appearance came on April 13, 2025, in Chicago’s final home game of the season, when the Blackhawks honored him and fellow retiring defenseman Alec Martinez with a video tribute. The Winnipeg Jets formed a handshake line for Maroon, and the Chicago crowd gave him a standing ovation, capping a 17-year NHL career that included three Stanley Cup championships.

    Maroon’s retirement marked the end of a rare achievement in modern hockey: three consecutive Stanley Cup titles with three different franchises. His journey from junior hockey obscurity in Texarkana to championship glory made him one of the most recognizable role players of his era.