Marleau still getting it done in his 21st NHL season
Auston Matthews was two weeks old on Oct. 1, 1997. Mitch Marner, by comparison, was positively ancient at nearly five months.
And Patrick Marleau? He had just turned 18 and was preparing to play his first NHL game.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Matthews, now Marleau’s linemate more than two decades later with the Toronto Maple Leafs. “We give it to him a lot of times. It’s kind of crazy to think about.”
His teammates can tease all they want, but in his 21st NHL season, the 39-year-old continues to astound.
“Genetically, he’s just got it,” said Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, who was about to turn seven when Marleau made his debut for the San Jose Sharks. “He’s just one of those guys ... just such a true professional.”
Marleau spent the first 19 seasons of his career with San Jose, scoring 508 goals to go along with 574 assists in 1,493 games before uprooting his family to face a new challenge when he signed a three-year, Us$18.75-contract with Toronto in the summer of 2017.
In his first season with the Leafs, the veteran winger put up 27 goals and 20 assists, playing mostly on a line with Kadri and Marner.
“The number may keep going up,” Marleau said of his age earlier this month. “But I still feel pretty good.”
Marleau set up Matthews for the game-winning goal in overtime Wednesday night as the Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in their seasonopener.
The soon-to-be-28-year-old Kadri has been trying to pick the soft-spoken Marleau’s brain about how he’s lasted this long.
“I’ve learned a ton off him already,” Kadri said. “He certainly knows how to handle himself. It
seems like he comes back every summer in even better shape.
“If I’m able to do it that long I’ll be more than happy ... he’s certainly a role model.”
Marleau, who has 125 points (72 goals, 53 assists) in 184 career playoff games, said advances in recovery techniques away from the rink have been crucial for his longevity.
When the No. 2 pick in the 1997 draft first came into the league, spending time on the trainer’s table or working on your body was frowned upon.
“Now it’s welcome,” said Marleau, who initially shocked fellow Leafs by stripping off his gear for a quick ice bath during the second intermission of games. “It allows players to play a lot longer and stay healthy.”
An unwavering dedication doesn’t hurt either.
The native of Swift Current, Sask., doesn’t seem to have
lost a step, mostly because he enjoys working at it.
“If you train real hard and you do things right and you live right, you can play a long time if you’re an elite skater,” Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said.
“It’s like he’s not even breathing out there,” Matthews added. “Nothing fazes him.”
With star centre John Tavares added in free agency this summer, Marleau’s foot speed should be put to good use on a new line centred by Matthews, who is already playing at another level heading into his third season, and complemented by William Nylander - whenever the restricted free agent’s contract impasse gets resolved.
“It’s going to be fun,” said Marleau.
Matthews, 21, had 34 goals and 29 assists in 2017-18 despite
missing 20 games because of injury, and is looking forward to having Marleau on his left side.
“He’s 39 and can still fly,” said Matthews. “It seems like he’s getting even faster. He’s had an unbelievable career ... it kind of speaks for itself.
“We have a great relationship off the ice.”
That relationship has included Matthews and Marner befriending Marleau’s four sons. Last season, the younger Leafs also playfully helped their older teammate understand current text message abbreviations, including the meaning of “HBU” — short for “how about you.”
“He’s getting better,” Matthews said with a grin. “He’s catching up to it with his kids and all the stuff that they’re learning at school with their friends. He’s got the language now.
“He’s like a kid again. He’s a great guy. He’s so fun to be around, he’s so nice to everybody.”
Marleau reached the Stanley Cup final, his only trip to the title series, with the Sharks in 2016, only to come up short against the Pittsburgh Penguins.