Marshall was a role player during the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty in the late 1950s and a valuable member of the New York Rangers during their rise in the late 1960s.

The forward from Verdun, Quebec, made a one-game cameo with the Canadiens as a 19-year-old on Jan. 26, 1952, but it wasn't until 1954-55 that he made Montreal's roster for good. On a team loaded with stars such as Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion and Dickie Moore, playing time could be scarce, but Marshall carved out a niche as a checker and penalty-killer (he led the NHL with three shorthanded goals in 1956-57) who could contribute in a third-line role. He played on all five of Montreal's Stanley Cup championship teams from 1955-56 through 1959-60, scoring as many as 22 goals in 1957-58.

Marshall remained a useful contributor until the Canadiens traded him to the Rangers on June 4, 1963.

New York was in a down phase, but its lack of talent up front gave Marshall an opportunity to show what he could do offensively. He averaged 22 goals during a five-season span from 1964-65 through 1968-69 and was an NHL Second-Team All-Star in 1966-67, when the Rangers ended a four-season absence from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But after Marshall dropped to nine goals and 24 points in 1969-70, the Rangers exposed him in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft, and he was selected by the Buffalo Sabres. Marshall scored 20 goals as a 38-year-old in 1970-71, but the Sabres allowed him to go to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1971 NHL Intraleague Draft, and he played one more season before retiring.

Marshall finished his career with 589 points (265 goals, 324 assists) in 1,176 NHL games, and 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 94 playoff games.