Islanders Matt Martin Discusses 900-Game Milestone, Longevity & Perserverence
Playing in the NHL is a privilege. Being able to play 900 games, especially as a physical presence for 14 years, is remarkable. New York Islanders forward Matt Martin will reach that milestone tonight when the puck drops against the Arizona Coyotes.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- Playing in the NHL is a privilege. Being able to play 900 games, especially as a physical presence for 14 years, is remarkable.
New York Islanders forward Matt Martin will reach that milestone tonight when the puck drops against the Arizona Coyotes.
"What it says to me is you know your job. You go out, and you do your job," Islanders head coach Lane Lambert, and doesn't matter how many games you've played. You continue to do what it is you do, and there's really something to be said for that. It's very, very impressive.
Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas, who have been linesmates with Martin for 10 years, know how hard Martin has worked over his career.
“It’s a pretty impressive career for him thus far," Clutterbuck said. "Just, again, playing a difficult role and having some longevity and putting up with me for nine years
"I think his personality is calming, and I think Casey and I are pretty rambunctious, and Marty is pretty level-headed, even-keel guy. His game is the same, I think he’s pretty steady, so I will say that he is sort of the grounding force on the line for us on and off the ice."
Cizikas told AMNY's Joe Pantorno that being on a line for as long as they have is so special:
“What we have as a line is something special, and you don't really see it too often. You don't really see it too often throughout the league, so any milestone that we can achieve together is definitely special.”
Brock Nelson said that players in this room look up to Martin.
"Marty is great. He’s been a great guy for everyone here, on and off the ice. Goes out there, plays extremely hard, lays his body on the line, sacrifices his body for the other guys," Nelson said. "But it’s his heart -- a lot of emotion -- and he’s just a fun guy to be around. Whether we’re here or at home, he’s having a good time, so he’s been a big part of this team and the franchise for a long time, so it’s a big, big night for him."
For Martin, career-game 900 is no different than 899 or 901, nor is his focus on reaching 1,000.
"I’ve really never thought of these things, to be honest with you. Just play the games, recover, and play the next one," Martin said. "You try to live in the moment as much as possible, whether it be good games, bad games, just focus day-to-day on what you need to do. 900’s obviously a big number, an achievement, but a couple of days later, hopefully, I play 901.”
Martin made his NHL debut on Feb. 9, 2010, as the Islanders hosted the Nashville Predators. The then-rookie had a strong night, recording two assists with three hits in a 4-3 win at Nassau Coliseum.
“Game number one feels a lot different than 900," Martin said Monday morning. "I was nervous the night before and the day of, a lot of butterflies. It was an amazing day for me."
Martin quickly became a fan favorite due to his ferocious hits and his willingness to be a pillar in the community.
People tend to forget that Martin spent two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as then Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello signed him to a four-year deal worth $10 million during free agency in 2016. After falling out of favor there, new Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, who had left Toronto that summer, brought Martin back to the island ahead of the 2018-19 season.
"It was special. It’s not often guys leave an organization and then get the opportunity to come, and not only to come back, but come back to a lot of the same group of guys and the same two linemates you used to have," Martin said. "It felt like home. There was no real adjustment for me settling back in here. It was pretty amazing, thankful I was able to sign a couple of contracts since then and stick around.”
There's time for reflection, and that time is not now, as Martin focuses on helping the Islanders win games here. But there will be a time for all of that.
“I’m certainly appreciative of it all, and I’m obviously very blessed and grateful for not just the opportunity to play in the NHL but how long I’ve been with this team," Martin said. "I got married here, settled my life down here, have two kids that are gonna grow up in this community. Certainly, I’m surrounded by things I appreciate, and me being able to do what I’ve done in New York has brought all those things to fruition.
"A lot of time for reflection will come down the road. Right now, we’re just gearing up to win a hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes.”
The Hockey News sat down with Martin following Tuesday's morning skate to discuss the milestone and more.
"I'm proud of how hard I've worked and my ability to have longevity in this league," Martin told THN. "It's a special thing. It's a milestone. But yeah, I'm just focused on the game and trying to get a win and move on from there.
Being able to accomplish this milestone with teammates he's played many years with makes it even more special.
"Pretty amazing to see how long so many guys I've played with when I started have stuck around," Martin said. "They've persevered through a lot of competition. Obviously, every year there's, there's new competition and fights for jobs, and everyone's still hanging around.
"And I think that's a special thing that you don't see very often to do with a lot of the same guys that I started my NHL career with. Like I said, we kind of persevered through that competition at a younger age, and [we're] all able to have longevity in this league is a compliment to just about everybody."
Martin usually finds himself toward the top of the hit leaderboard year in and year out, laying the body 3,703 times (and likely more) with 106 career fights, per HockeyFights.com.
We see countless players who play that role come into the league but find themselves out of jobs just a few years in.
"I think I've always worked extremely hard playing the game. And I don't go out there just looking to fight just to fight, generally," Martin said. "With all the sports science stuff out there now, the cold tubs, I try to stay on top of that.
"Then there's certainly a level of mental toughness and just keep doing it, and obviously, I've played through injuries just like everyone else in the room. A lot of bumps and bruises over the years that you got to mentally block out and play through. Obviously, we all love playing this game, and we all want to be on the ice, so that's the motivating factor. I'm no different than any other guy. I've been fortunate to stay pretty healthy overall. And so hopefully that continues."
A few years ago, Martin suffered an ankle injury, and when he wasn't ready for the start of the 2021-22 season due to offseason surgery, coupled with the Islanders handing Ross Johnston, Martin's mentee/future replacement -- you pick the word -- a four-year deal worth $4.4 million (contract began in 2022-23), that speculation grew even stronger.
Martin changed the narrative as he shook off that injury, playing in 81 of 82 games a season ago.
THN asked Martin if there was a legitimate belief that his career could have been over because of that injury or that was just talk.
"Every year, people are gonna count you out," Martin said. "I don't think that necessarily fuels you. Like, I still want to play hockey. I still want to be in this league. I believe I'm a valuable asset to a team.
"I've always had a good work ethic in the offseason, and I try to work on new things that I need to work on."
Martin then discussed his injury.
"That year I came back from ankle surgery, I missed a whole summer training. Missed all of training camp, and I spent a lot of time next summer, kind of re-strengthening that and working on my skating. I thought I followed that with a pretty good year.
"We're no different than anybody else. You know, there's ups and downs, and you have good years and bad years and good stretches, bad stretches. You just keep putting the pedal down and working towards your goals. And I've been able to do that throughout the course of my career."