After playing for Indy last season, forward Jonathon Martin is taking his game to Kalamazoo in 2024-25.
During his time with the Indy Fuel last season, Jonathon Martin considered Wings Event Center his least favorite road venue.
This season, the 29-year-old forward has a much different perspective after signing a Standard Player Contract (SPC) with the K-Wings for the 2024-25 season.
Martin, a 6-foot 2, 216-pound Winnipeg native, played 61 games for Indy last season, setting career-highs in goals (23) and points (35) with 54 penalty minutes and notching one assist with 10 penalty minutes in three playoff games.
“The (Kalamazoo) community here has already been incredibly welcoming for my family from the coaches & staff to the teachers and neighbors,” Martin said. “I’m looking forward to plugging into the community and our team, which is extremely exciting coming into the season. Wings Event Center and its crowd was my least favorite rink to play in for a reason, and I’m looking forward to being on the opposite side of that and calling it home!”
The ninth-year pro debuted with San Jose in the AHL in 2015-16, appearing in eight regular-season games and three in the playoffs.
In 2016-17, Martin split time between San Jose and the Allen Americans, registering nine points (4-5-9) in 33 games before spending two full seasons with San Jose, totaling 15 goals and 22 assists with 139 penalty minutes in 110 games. He added three goals in four playoff games in 2018-19.
Martin then went to Tucson (AHL) in 2019-20, playing in 56 games, scoring 18 points (12-6-18) with 36 penalty minutes. He spent 2020-21 in Germany with Lausitzer, where he totaled 24 points (11-13-24) and 84 penalty minutes in 37 games.
In 2021-22, Martin returned to the AHL with Grand Rapids, recording 16 points (4-12-16) with 51 penalty minutes in 60 games played.
The forward then came back to the ECHL, playing for the Rapid City Rush in 2022-23, scoring 25 points (13-12-25) and accumulating 43 penalty minutes in 38 games.
Martin brings a number of qualities that impress Wings head coach and director of hockey operations Joel Martin: size, scoring, leadership and experience.
“He’s someone our younger players can look up to,” Joel Martin said following the signing.