Mason Marchment is the epitome of perseverance

The Dallas Stars' winger was never drafted, either into the OHL or NHL. There were people in hockey who thought he would never make it. But he did, and just when that happened, his father died

Mason Marchment is off to a great start with the Dallas Stars.

As reporters assembled around his dressing room stall wielding cameras and tape recorders after a morning skate in Toronto, Mason Marchment set one important ground rule. He would not be talking about his dad. Which is fine. The process of grieving is one the most personal things anyone can endure and everyone handles it differently. Mason Marchment has chosen to deal with it by not sharing his grief with the world. Good for him.

The morning of July 6, the day before he was to be at the San Jose Sharks’ table for the NHL draft, Bryan Marchment was found dead in his hotel room in Montreal. He was only 53 years old. Exactly one week later, on the first day of free agency, Mason signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars worth $18 million, giving him a permanent home and financial security for the first time in his career. The early returns have been outstanding. Playing on the left side of the second line, the 27-year-old Marchment went into Thursday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs with three goals and five points in three games and has received rave reviews from the organization.