Nashville Predators' Jonathan Marchessault scores goal in emotional return to Vegas
For several of the Nashville Predators' biggest offseason acquisitions, it has been a season of homecomings.
In October, forward Steven Stamkos returned to face his old team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. In March, defenseman Brady Skjei returned to Raleigh to play the Carolina Hurricanes.
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On Saturday, it was forward Jonathan Marchessault's turn.
Marchessault, who spent seven seasons in Vegas (2017 to 2024), scored a goal in the Predators' 5-3 loss to the Golden Knights, playing as a visitor at T-Mobile Arena for the first time in his career.
Nashville (29-43-8, 66 points) and Vegas (49-22-9, 107 points) headed in opposite directions this season — the Golden Knights wrapped up the Pacific Division title with the win, and the Predators have been eliminated from postseason contention since late March.
But the return of Marchessault was an emotional moment for Golden Knights fans, who know how integral he was in their success as an expansion team.
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During the first TV timeout of the game, Vegas honored Marchessault with a video tribute. After the moment, Marchessault gave a customary skate onto the ice, waving thank you to the fans.
In the third period, he scored to get the Predators within one. Skating into the Vegas zone with forward Zach L'Heureux, Marchessault crashed the far side of the net and directed L'Heureux's centering pass in for his 20th goal of the season.
Marchessault, 34, scored 192 goals and 242 assists in 514 games with the Golden Knights. In 2022-23, he helped lead them to their first Stanley Cup championship — he also was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs.
In summer 2024, he scored a five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Predators. In his first season with Nashville, he has 20 goals and 34 assists, skating 18:04 minutes per night.
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The Predators conclude their season with two home games. On Monday, they host the Utah Hockey Club (7 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network) before finishing the season on Wednesday against the Dallas Stars.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators' Jonathan Marchessault scores in emotional return to Vegas
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