Deep Ink: Mason Marchment

As part of our Deep Ink series, presented by Kraken Rum, let’s dive into the story behind Mason Marchment’s solitary tattoo, which may be small, but holds a lot of meaning.

Inked on the inside of his right wrist are two letters: B and M – the initials of his father Bryan Marchment who passed away in 2022.

Mason credits a lot of where he is today to his dad, Bryan, a former NHL defender, scout, and part-time coach. Like so many hockey fathers, he started taking his son to the rink and introduced him to the game he loved. He passed down another Marchment tradition as well: the nickname “Mush.”

“People used to call my papa, ‘Mush,’” Mason said with a smile. “I think it's because he was a big, strong man, and if you got in his way he would mush you. Everyone that I know calls my dad ‘Mush’, and everyone's been calling me ‘Mush’ since I was probably 10. It’s just a fun nickname that's been passed down and I love it.

“Sometimes people call me Mason or ‘Marchie’, and I kind of won't even look or listen, because most of the people that know me call me ‘Mush.’”

So, to honor his dad, last year, when Mason was out with his good friend and former teammate, Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, they decided to get tattoos.

“I think the starting (idea for the tattoo) was something crazy,” Oettinger said. “We both realized tattoos are forever and that if we were going to have something for forever, we wanted it to be something that we cared about and wanted to have on our bodies for the rest of our lives.”

As the discussion of what ink to get progressed, the friends who had supported one another through recent losses of a parent decided to get their loved one’s initials as their first piece of body art.

“I told him, ‘If you're going to get a tattoo, get something that means something to you. His mom passed away a couple of years ago too, so we just figured we would get tattoos for our parents,” Mason said. “It was a pretty cool and fun night.”

Oettinger, whose mother’s initials are on his forearm, says he thinks of their tattoos as reminders of the guardian angel that each player now has watching over them.

“I think Mush’s dad was everything to him,” Oettinger said. “As a hockey player, having your dad in the NHL there’s nothing cooler than that, and I think he and his dad were really close…I think his dad was his hero. It’s the worst thing in the world when a parent passes away. I think for Mush, like myself, it’s a good reminder that you always have someone watching over you and (our tattoos are) something you’re proud to have on your body.”

Photos: Chris Mast