Son of ex-Edmonton Oilers fan-favourite Patrick Maroon inks OHL deal
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree for former Edmonton Oilers fan favourite Patrick Maroon.
The ex-Oilers tough guy, known as “The Big Rig,” might have hung up the skates on his NHL career last season, but his son, Anthony, is embarking on a hockey career of his own.
The 17-year-old forward inked a deal with the OHL’s London Knights on Wednesday, which just so happens to be the same team Maroon played for in his junior days.
Like father, like son. Welcome to London ATM! āļøš° pic.twitter.com/7SDm7x3glo
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) June 3, 2026
Anthony spent his minor hockey days playing in his native St. Louis, where he progressed to play Triple-A hockey. He then moved to Long Island for his final year of minor hockey in 2024-25.
Just last season, the younger Maroon graduated to the USHL, where he spent the year playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, putting up two goals and 19 points in 59 games. He will look to follow in his father’s footsteps with the Knights, where his dad put up 34 goals and 90 points in his one and only OHL season back in 2007-08.
He seems to have picked up the grittiness from his dad, and he’s not afraid to drop the gloves.
Anthony Thomas-Maroon is making a name for himself in hockey, but he's still Big Rig's son, AND IT SHOWS.
You have to watch this hit and fight from ATM!#ChopChop #GetJACKD #MKG pic.twitter.com/EyqXxFQMsW
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) October 4, 2025
It won’t be a long stay in Canada for Anthony. While he signed with the Knights for the upcoming season, he has already committed himself to the NCAA’s Western Michigan University for the 2027-28 season.
Oilers fans may remember Anthony from Maroon’s time in Edmonton. The father-and-son duo were separated for most of his Oilers tenure, with Patrick in the Alberta capital while Anthony resided in St. Louis.
The two reunited during an Oilers road game against the St. Louis Blues back in 2026, which led to an emotional interview with Sportsnet’s Gene Principe that went viral.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s pretty emotional,” Maroon said while watching a video of Anthony celebrating one of his goals. “I don’t get to see him as much, and it’s pretty special.”
Maroon spent three seasons with Edmonton and helped the team break a decades-long playoff drought during the 2016-17 season. He was initially acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in a low-profile, last-second deal at the 2016 trade deadline.
He was initially expected to be a depth player, but quickly exploded as an unexpected top-six goalscorer while playing on a line with Connor McDavid.
As Anthony tries to build up a hockey career of his own, maybe Maroon’s path will cross with Edmonton once again sometime in the future.