Born: 2003-01-29
Team: Québec Remparts (QMJHL)
Position: Left Wing / Center
Shoots: Left
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 178
UPDATE: JULY 9, 2021
Marjala put together a respectable season in the QMJHL. He played on Québec Remparts’ top power play unit and on the first two lines throughout the season. He is an intelligent player capable of reading the game very well, occasionally a step or two ahead of the competition. Offensively, he is an unselfish playmaker, effective at underhandling the puck, has smooth hands and strong passing skills at this level of junior hockey. He makes calculated decisions in possession and displays notable confidence. He will need to add more explosiveness to his skating in order to achieve success at higher levels. If he can do that and lenghten his stride, his chances of becoming an impact player at the next level will improve greatly. Despite his mediocre acceleration, he is oftentimes able to enter the offensive zone with control and with enough room to create offense. He isn’t particularly big, but he can hold off opponents, win puck battles and cover the puck well. On the downside, Marjala only scored five goals in his QMJHL rookie season and it leaves a lot to be desired. I hope this won’t scare teams away in the 2021 NHL Draft – I think he has the hockey sense and skills to play in the NHL after several years of development in the juniors and pros.
REPORT: QUÉBEC @ SHAWINIGAN, NOVEMBER 17, 2020
Marjala made his QMJHL debut as the Québec Remparts beat Shawinigan Cataractes 4-2. The Kärpät juniors product was very impressive in this game, playing alongside Theo Rochette and Pierrick Dubé on the second line. Marjala valued possession and showed a lot of poise with the puck. He was able to read defenders and execute a quick passing game in the neutral zone. He is an excellent passer with the ability to deliver crisp and accurate feeds both on his forehand and backhand. He was alert and dependable in his own end, and showed the willingness to get into shooting lanes. He also showed an active stick to disrupt the puck carrier. He registered a primary assist and was an offensive weapon all game long. Skating hasn’t been his biggest strength, but it wasn’t an issue here either, and he was stronger on his edges and a bit quicker than last season. Marjala is an exciting talent with the vision, puck skills and creativity to make plays.