ST. LOUIS — Pat Maroon's status as a St. Louis sports legend was etched into history when he found the back of the net in the second overtime of the Blues' second-round Game 7 against Dallas last year.
Now, nearly a year later, he's on a new team with Stanley Cup aspirations of its own.
5 On Your Side sports director Frank Cusumano caught up with our hometown hero and current Tampa Bay Lightning forward while he rides out the NHL COVID-19 shutdown.
Maroon is like everyone else right now, just doing what he can to stay in shape and get ready for when hockey does return.
"It's out of our control right now. The most important thing right now is making sure everybody is staying safe and doing the right thing right now," Maroon said.
And going back to that memorable double-overtime goal against Dallas, Maroon said Blues fans have continued to show him the love.
"If someone comes up to me, first the congratulate our team for winning the Stanley Cup and then second comes, 'Thanks for scoring that goal.' So it's cool," Maroon said.
But Maroon isn't satisfied. After a taste of what winning the Cup is like, he wants more.
"In your career to hit the pinnacle is to win a Stanley Cup and have really successful years. And I had successful years in Edmonton and Anaheim and come to St. Louis and your ultimate goal is to win a Stanley Cup, and I got that. And now I want another one," Maroon said. "I want another one and to keep adding to my goals. Win as many as you can, play as long as I can and pushing St. Louis hockey in the right direction."
But if he gets back to the Stanley Cup Final, there's a decent chance he might be staring down his former team and hometown on the other side. Yeah, Maroon has thought about that too.
"I've thought about that quite a bit. Obviously, with the team we have in Tampa Bay it's a good team and we're moving in the right direction right now. It's going to be a task to come out of the east, but we know we have the team and capability of going to the finals," Maroon said. "And we know St. Louis is a really good team and has a chance to come out of the west and for a repeat. So I've thought about it. It would be awkward if we faced them in the Stanley Cup Finals and I would sure hate to lose against them that's for sure."
Marron still has a lot left in the tank, but when he does eventually hang up his skates, he knows how he wants to be remembered on the ice.
"That I never gave up. I grinded my way through a lot of adversity," Maroon said. "Obviously I'm not the flashiest player on the ice. I just want people to recognize me as I got it done the hard way."