Ex-NHLer Pat Maroon Joins USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks as Assistant Coach
Maroon played nearly 850 NHL games and won three Stanley Cups
Back in April, long-time NHLer Pat Maroon hung up his skates after a really solid professional hockey career, wrapping it all up with the Chicago Blackhawks.
However, the man they call "The Big Rig" has already taken the first step in his post-playing career. It was announced this week that Maroon has signed on to become an assistant coach for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League, the top level of junior hockey in the US.
"We are excited to add Pat to our coaching staff. As a program, we are always self-evaluating on how we can get better. When this opportunity was presented to us, it was hard to turn down." Lumberjacks President Steve Lowe said in a statement. "Adding someone like Pat, who has three Stanley Cup rings, is something that doesn't come along very often. Pat will be a great mentor for our players, coaching staff, and everyone at the Muskegon Lumberjacks."
As Lowe alluded to, Maroon famously won three Stanley Cups in a row from 2019 to 2021. He won in 2019 as a member of the St. Louis Blues — his hometown team — then won two more in the seasons that followed as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"I'm really looking forward to working with a winning organization and learning from the coaches, players, and management," Maroon said. "I'm also really excited to help the players develop and get 1% better to push them to the next level."
Even cooler, Maroon will get to coach his son, Anthony Thomas-Maroon, who was acquired by the Lumberjacks back in May.
The elder Maroon was a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft, but made his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2010-11 season. From there, Maroon had stints in Edmonton, New Jersey, St. Louis, Tampa, Minnesota, Boston, and Chicago, racking up 848 games played.