TODD MARCHANT
NHL Hockey Star
Todd Marchant’s skill and passion for the game of hockey saw him play 1,195 games over 17 seasons in the NHL. During this time, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and he capped his career with a Stanley Cup for the Anaheim Ducks.
Born and raised in Western New York, Todd played 10 years of hockey in the Amherst Youth Hockey Association. He went on to play for his high school team at Williamsville East, where he is a member of the Williamsville Foundation’s Wall of Fame.
He also played Junior A Hockey for the Niagara Scenics of the NAHL during the 1990-91 season. While with the Scenics, he scored an impressive 78 points over only 37 games, and was the league’s 4th leading scorer.
His demonstrated skills at that age landed him a full athletic scholarship at Clarkson University. Over two seasons with the Golden Knights, he tallied 78 points in 66 games. Todd also had the privilege to serve on the 1993 U.S. World Junior Team at the IIHF World Junior Championships where they finished just outside of the medals in 4th place. Then, in 1994 he was selected to play for the United States at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
His pro career started when he was selected in the 1993 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers. His stint within the Rangers organization wasn’t long as he was traded to the Oilers during the 1993-94 season, ironically for a player who would later became his head coach. It was with the Oilers that Marchant played nine full seasons, became their alternate captain for the last few seasons, and got the reputation as one of the fastest players in the NHL.
In 2003 he moved east to join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent. After two years with the Blue Jackets, he was waived and picked up by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
After a trip to the Western Conference Finals in his first season in Anaheim, the Ducks came out on fire the next campaign. The team set franchise and league records for the longest streak of being undefeated in regulation at the beginning of the season. They rode this momentum to become 2007 Stanley Cup Champions. After a few more seasons with Anaheim, Marchant announced his retirement from the NHL on June 18, 2011. Out of the game as a player, Todd stayed on the Ducks staff as the Director of Player Development.
Marchant never played professionally in Buffalo, however he has always kept his hometown close to his heart. The summer of 2013 marked the 15th year that he came back to Buffalo to put on a hockey camp for kids, where a portion of the proceeds help support local charities that focus on assisting special needs children. The camp has helped raised over $75,000.
Todd Marchant is the second professional hockey player to be inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame who was not a member of the Buffalo Sabres.
