Sharks scout and former player Bryan Marchment appears to have died of natural causes, Montreal police said Thursday in an email to the Bay Area News Group.
The 53-year-old died suddenly on Wednesday in Montreal as the team prepared for the NHL Draft there, and a Montreal police spokesperson said investigators have found “no evidence to indicate” foul play.
New general manager Mike Grier said he gave the staff in Montreal some time away from preparation work to “regroup and have some time to themselves and process and grieve.” But the Sharks will carry out the draft, which begins Thursday night, in memory of “Mush.”
At the start of the NHL Draft on Thursday night, commissioner Gary Bettman led the Montreal crowd at Bell Centre in observing a moment of silence for Marchment.
Based in the Toronto area, Marchment’s duties included working with San Jose Barracuda players and scouting the team’s prospects at the college and Canadian major junior levels. Marchment, who also assisted in player development, had just finished his 15th season with the team.
Marchment, born in Scarborough, Ontario in 1969, played 926 games over a 17-year NHL career, including 334 games in five-plus seasons with the Sharks from 1997 to 2003.
Along with his time in San Jose, Marchment played in Winnipeg, Chicago, Hartford, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Toronto, and Calgary. He also played with an edge throughout his career, once being named the most hated man in hockey by Sports Illustrated.
Marchment is survived by his parents, his wife, Kim, and their two children, daughter Logan, and son, Mason, a Florida Panthers forward.
Staff writer Curtis Pashelka contributed to this report.