As time goes by, some of the NHL’s most memorable players are making their way out of the league, the most recent being three time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon who announced his retirement on Saturday in his hometown of St Louis. Although not being the best of goal scorers, or even a flashy player, Maroon brought everything he needed to every team he ever played on, a reason why he is a three time champion. Maroon’s history of physicality, passion, and love for the game of hockey will definitely make him a player to remember in NHL history, and as our way of showing our appreciation to the Big Rig himself, here is some of Maroon’s best career moments as a way of reminiscing on the big man's spectacular career.
Sending his hometown team to the Western Conference finals in game 7
Maroon played for a fair few teams during his long career, starting with Anaheim in 2011, and finishing with Chicago in 2025, but it will definitely had been his time spent playing for his hometown team the St Louis Blues which he will look back on the most. After joining the Blues in 2018, Maroon would reach the Stanley Cup playoffs that year, but what he wasn't expecting to do, was to send the Blues to the WCF in double overtime, in game 7. A true storybook tale he will never forget.
Winning his first Stanley Cup
Not many players in the NHL get the privilege to hoist the Stanley cup let alone three, but Maroon is one of a short list of players in history who have had that privilege on three different occasions, starting in St Louis. After sending his team to the WCF with a miraculous double overtime winner, Maroon and the Blues never had a chance of winning the cup, but after defeating a scary Bruins team in seven games, the Blues did something nobody could have ever predicted, and won the 2019 Stanley Cup, Maroon winning his first for his hometown.
Being poached by Tampa Bay, winning back to back Stanley Cups
After Maroon’s time came to an end in St Louis, Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper poached the Big Rig to fill a much needed heavy checking spot in the lineup, Maroon becoming a very sought after player in the league. After signing a one year deal in Tampa, and playing a massive role on the physical side of play for the Lightning, Maroon and the Lightning became victorious in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, winning his second straight Stanley Cup in an empty Tampa arena, putting his name in the history books as only the third player in history to win back to back cups with different teams.
Winning his third Stanley Cup in a row
After his heroics and value to Tampa’s 202 playoff run, Maroon signed a three year extension with the Lightning as they looked to rewrite their names into the cup for a second straight season. With a seriously dangerous roster, the Lightning didn't surprise as they went on to win their second Stanley cup in a row, as Pat Maroon once again opened up the history books and saw his name penned for a second time in history being the first plaster to win back to back to back Stanley cups in the post-expansion era, putting the cherry on top of the cake to an already legendary career.
Most fights since 2012
Aside from being a serial winner, Maroon is probably most known as the ‘Big Rig’ and one of the most fierce players in the league. Maroon’s NHL success has not particularly come from goals and points, but from the intangible effort, passion,. And least of all physicality he brings on the ice. With a big fight against Sean Walker on Saturday, Maroon padded his 96th fight in the league since 2012, and currently has the record for the most fights from that period, with 96 bouts over the years. And boy have there been some heavy ones.
His final farewell in St Louis
Announcing his retirement just before the puck drop on Saturday in his hometown of St Louis, the Blues and the Blackhawks rallied to give him one final send off from his hometown team, and a tribute to an amazing career as his time in the NHL was coming to a close, announcing his end to his service to the game in none other than his home of St Louis.
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