Remembering Nathan Marsters

Portland, ME – Nathan Marsters was quiet person, but held a competitive sprit that helped him succeed in his hockey career.

Marsters, 29, died a little over a week ago when his truck slammed into a deer on a road near his hometown of Smithville, Ontario.

The deer went through the windshield of his Chevy Silverado, striking Marsters, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Marsters played for two seasons with the Portland Pirates.

Pirates head coach Kevin Dineen remembered his former goalie as someone who was very much a quiet person off the ice, but how his actions spoke volumes on the ice.

“He was quiet, but he had a competitive nature about him that doesn’t always show through,” said Dineen. “That said, he was a hockey player and he was in it to win.”

“He put a lot of thought into everything he did.”

Ironically, Marsters almost didn’t get an opportunity to play in Portland in 2005-’06. It was the first year of a new affiliation agreement with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and under rookie head coach Kevin Dineen, it was expected to be Rich Parent and Michael Wall as the goalie tandem with the Pirates. However, immigration issues prevented Parent from playing in Portland and Marsters found himself with a spot on the team.

He certainly made the most of it, as he finished the regular season 23-9-0-2 with a 3.10 GAA and a 0.900 save percentage in 34 games. Marsters didn’t lose a game from the end of February, winning his last eight starts.

It was really a magical year for Marsters as the Pirates made to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Hershey Bears in Game 7, but he also earned his first call to the NHL with the Ducks during their playoff run.

After tough following season, Marsters moved on spending time with the Augusta (GA.), Wheeling (WV.) before heading to Europe where he played for Krefeld of the DEL.

Despite not playing last season, he was still on Dineen’s radar when the Pirates faced a goalie shortage.

“We had a conversation and I tried to convince him to come back to play (in Portland) because to take a rusty Nathan Marsters was worth it for me just because the kind of character guy he was,” said Dineen.

“He wasn’t comfortable in that situation.”

It was that type of character that impressed people that knew Marsters both on and off the ice.

“It was devastating news for a lot of us that spent time with him,” said Dineen.

“He’ll be sorely missed.”

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