Quote:
Originally Posted by Red, White and Blue On Ice
"Of course I didn't back off from bodyckecks in my first NHL game," said Mariucci, "but this major league hockey is more finesse than brute strength and I was trying to prevent goals rather than get into fights. I've got a lot to learn. It's the fine points of the game that I'm working on the hardest."... It took very little time for "Maroosh" to establish a notable presence in the city off Lake Michigan... "Mariucci has certainly caught the fancy of the Cihcago hockey crowds. 'Marush', and "come on, Minnesota' were frequent rafter ringers, especially after John came out #1 best in skirmishes against the boards... never one to miss a bodycheck, no matter how extraneous to effort, Mariucci sent half a dozen Canadiens sprawling during the course of the evening... Mariucci attempted one solo sojourn that took him to the lip of the Montreal nets, but his scoring thrust was stopped. He was on the ice when the Hawks scored both of their goals, and otherwise gave all indications of being a permanent fixture in Chicago hockey doings"...
He established a feud with Detroit defenseman Eddie Wared... He had found his NHL niche as the brash, tough guy enforcer with the off-ice heart of gold... Mariucci's tough guy reputation belied the fact that he was a superb skater: (three quotes from 1943 in the EAHL) "It was John Mariucci, however, who was the real strength of the team last night. Playing a defense position, he spent almost as much time down ice aiding the attack as breaking up rival plays. The bull moose of the team seems to gain skating speed with every start."... "Mariucci did not have wings last night, but he moved up and down the ice as if he were flying. Johnny is by far the fastest skater in the league."... "paced by John Mariucci, the Strong Man, with five goals, the Coast Guard conquered New Haven... used a halfback's stiff arm on his swerving solo dashes into scoring position. Three times he registered goals by racing the full length of the ice. A skilled as well as fast skater, he provided opposition that the New Haven defense could not meet. The crowd thundered its appreciation in applause for this colorful performer..."
Fighting may have stopped on a worldwide basis, but it hadn't stopped for him. He was never better as a battler than in a 0-0 home game tie with Detroit December 6, 1946: "whatever the goalless aspect of the match may have lacked for the excitement seekers was made up for in a 15 minute gory brawl, featuring Jack Stewart and John Mariucci... Referee King clancy was looking the other way when Stewart cut Mariucci as the game was going into its late stages. With blood streaming down Mariucci's face, Clancy ordered him into the penalty box, apparently for spilling gore onto the ice. Mariucci fought one round on the ice, then resumed in the penalty box. The fighting was good, but a bit messy on account of the wonds. Altogether, the combatants each drew a minor, a major, and a misconduct...
Mariucci finished third in the league in PIM with 58… The Canadiens took the first game 6 to 2 but had little difficulty in winning the second 5-1, but Maroosh would nonetheless leave his mark in this match before the series resumed in Chicago. Chicago Daily News, March 22, 1946: "a four-way bout at Montréal started when Cooper and Chamberlain whacked each other over the heads near the Hawk net... Then Richard skated in, swung at Cooper and missed… Whereupon Mariucci leveled "The Comet" (later renamed the Rocket) with a devastating right... Richard had just reached the Bastile when Mariucci snarled something at him and Richard swung again, this time over the boards… Johnny leaned from the box and belted him onto the ice once more."
On August 17, 1948 his NHL career came to an end at Chicago established a working agreement with the HL St. Louis flyers and assigned him there as captain with additional duties as scout.… Four days after the season opener, the locals were treated to a vintage Mariucci performance, but this time with a touch of offense. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 17, 1948: "Mariucci was off the ice, but went over to the Indianapolis bench… He seemed to choose the entire visiting team. There is the usual jawing before somebody swung it somebody else, and the upshot was… Mariucci and Lee Fogolin were rolling on dry land, underneath the Indianapolis bench, in a first-class brawl… Mariucci took a cross ice pass from Eddie Olsen and let fly a long shot that just zoomed into the chords… 19 seconds later Mariucci piped home another long shot from way out that gave the flyers their 3-2 victory"...
St. Louis went on to capture the HL's Western division title and faced the Eastern division winning Providence Reds in the first round of the playoffs. Slowed by injuries to key players, the flyers lost in seven games. Nonetheless, he was his usual self as the Post-Dispatch, March 29, 1948, described him as "dashing" and "whose every move is cheered in St. Louis" while "taking the worst beating of any flyer" and "though taped with miles of adhesive, he'll be out there tonight."
