THE staple of many a successful team is boasting a solid defensive corps.
One such rearguard, who went on to a solid playing career, is the Lakehead’s own, Lou Marcon.
Competing in the local junior ranks in the early to mid 1950s, Marcon patrolled the blueline for the Fort William Columbus Canadiens for four seasons.
Playing with future brother-in-law, and eventual fellow NHL defenceman Pete Goegan, for three of those years, the tandem were a key to the club’s success.
A rugged, reliable defender in his own right, Marcon’s physical, stay-at-home brand of play was a cornerstone in helping the Canadiens reel off three straight city championships and skate away with titles in 1953, ’54 and ’55.
It also included Fort William advancing all the way to western Canadian Memorial Cup final in 1954 before eventually falling to a talented Edmonton Oil Kings side.
With nearly 125 junior games to his credit, Marcon chipped in offensively from the back-end in his final campaign, pacing all D-men in playoff points with two tallies and nine assists in 14 outings, while sporting a team-high 27 penalty minutes.
Turning pro in 1955, he signed on with a powerful Cincinnati Mohawks organization, that were the envy of the International Hockey League.
Led by another Lakehead product, in 100-point-man Max Mekilok, Cincinnati won the Turner Cup IHL championship in Marcon’s rookie year.
The following season, he, Mekilok and the rest of the Mohawks were victorious once more with Marcon earning second-team all-star honours on defence for his efforts.
In 1957-58, he went on to garner first team IHL laurels at his position.
From there, his stellar play caught the attention of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and he would eventually join their affiliate club, the Edmonton Flyers of the old Western Hockey League.
Called up by Detroit, he made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in February of 1959, playing along side the likes of the legendary duo of Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio as well as for local icon Jack Adams, the team’s general manager. Goegan was also on that team.
With limited NHL roster spots available in the ‘Original Six’ days, Marcon would appear in 60 NHL games as well as in over 200 matchups with Edmonton and helped them win the WHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy as league champs in 1962.
That team was led by another well-known icon, (Bud) Poile, with his brother Don being a standout forward with the Flyers for over a decade.
Joining the AHL’s Pittsburgh Hornets in the fall of ’62, Marcon played there for four seasons before wrapping up his pro career with the Memphis Wings of the Central Professional Hockey League, which also saw him serve as team captain.
Returning home he played a few more years of senior hockey and was selected a first team all-star on defence in the United States Hockey League in 1971-72, with the Thunder Bay Twins.
After a lengthy career of nearly 1,000 games, this rock-solid blueliner provided 261 points and amassed 1,736 penalty minutes.
Not done with the game, Marcon would eventually getting into coaching and was a mainstay behind the bench in the city for many years, including serving as a player-coach for the Twins, and later on with the Thunder Bay Kings AAA program.
From winning multiple titles through his time as a player, to being recognized on numerous occasions for individual on-ice contributions, Lou Marcon clearly made his mark in the game.
While the names of excellence may differ from over the decades, he is yet another example of someone that has made our community synonymous with being a hockey hotbed, for well over a century.