ST. PAUL, MN — Pat Maroon quickly endeared himself to the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise and its fan base when he joined the team in 2020. The man nicknamed "The Big Rig" helped his hometown, St. Louis Blues, win the Stanley Cup in 2019, and he was a huge reason why the Lightning won back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021.
This offseason, Maroon was traded to the Minnesota Wild after a four-year run in Tampa. Despite the fact that he isn't on the Bolts roster anymore, Maroon is still a fan favorite and favorite among his former teammates. Tonight, the Wild host the Lightning, and Maroon will face his former teammates for the first time.
"There’s gonna be mixed emotions, a lot of emotions. But I’m excited," the 35-year-old said after morning skate. "Playing my old teammates and what we accomplished there for the four years I was there. But yeah, it’s a lot of good memories, a lot of friendships over there."
Maroon's locker was right next to current Lightning center Anthony Cirelli's. Cirelli said he had the best seat in the house.
"He lights up the room. He keeps it positive. He’s a big voice," Cirelli said after Wednesday's practice. "The way he plays. He’s the first guy to stick up for a teammate. He plays his heart out. He knows what he’s doing."
Cirelli added that Maroon's impact on the team was just as big off the ice.
"The game’s not going the right way or outside of hockey. Anything that you needed from him, he was there for you. He’s a really good buddy. He found a way to bring guys together."
The hockey world is a fairly close-knit community. But when the Lightning traded for winger Brandon Hagel in 2022, he didn't know anyone on the roster. Hagel said Maroon was the first person to reach out and welcome him to the locker room.
"[Maroon] Makes the rink a lot more fun. I think that’s the type of guy that every team needs," Hagel explained. "In a sense of coming to the rink and you know he’s got something to say, or he’s got a joke up his sleeve. He’s in a mood you can joke about because, you know, it’s Patty."
Hagel and Maroon both smiled when describing what it's going to be like when they actually take the ice against each other tonight.
"Excited to play them. Hopefully, we get the “W.” That’d be nice to get the win," Maroon grinned.
"It’s definitely going to be weird. I’m sure there’ll be a few smiles, but that doesn’t mean we’re friends out there [haha]," Hagel joked.
The puck drops just after 8 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.
Tampa Bay host the Wild on Thursday, January 18. Maroon said that meeting will be a lot more emotional than the match-up in Minnesota.
