Martin Making the Most of 900 Games  

On the eve of suiting up for his 900th NHL game, Matt Martin still vividly remembers how he felt in his first.

“It felt a lot different than 900,” Martin recalled. “I was nervous the night before and the day of. A lot of butterflies, it was an amazing day for me, played the Predators at home and it was an awesome game to be a part of and one I’ll never forget.”

Martin notched a pair of assists against Nashville in his debut and has built a reputable and durable career since. The Windsor, Ontario native played 767 of his 899 career games with the Islanders and is seventh on the franchise’s games-played list. Brock Nelson, who is in eighth place on that list, had high praise for his teammate ahead of his milestone game.

“Marty is a great guy for everyone here on and off the ice,” Brock Nelson said. “He goes out there, plays extremely hard, lays his body on the line and makes sacrifices for the other guys. He plays with heart, a lot of emotion. He’s been a big part of his team and the franchise for a long time, so it's a big night for him.”

Martin is a hard-hitting forward, maintaining a rugged style of play throughout his extensive career. From a coaching perspective, Head Coach Lane Lambert recognizes the importance of his role and values his grit.

“There's a reason Martin has been in his role for a long time,” Lambert said. “He plays well and he's a smart hockey player. He continues to do what it is he does, and there's really is something to be said for that. It's very, very impressive.”

Martin reigned as the team leader in hits in four of the last five seasons and has 3,703 hits on his resume. He enters his 14^th full season after recording a team-best 295 hits last season. 

“Longevity is something I'm proud of,” Martin said. “As I get older, especially with the type of game I play, I’m proud of how I’ve held up over the years. I’m just focused on playing good hockey.”

Martin plays an integral role on the Islanders Identity Line, playing on the left side of long-time linemates Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. The trio is entering their 10^th season as linemates, which is rare in the NHL to say the least. Throughout the years, the three have developed a strong friendship that translates to chemistry on the ice." 

“His personality is just calming,” Clutterbuck said. “Casey and I are pretty rambunctious, and Marty is more of a level-headed, even-keeled guy. This game is the same, he’s pretty steady and consistent. I will say that he's sort of the grounding force on the line for us, both on and off the ice. It’s a pretty impressive career for him thus far, playing a difficult role and having some longevity,” 

“And putting up with me for years for eight or nine years now,” he added with a laugh.

Over a 15-year career, there are many special games that stand out to a player. When asked about those moments, the first few that came to mind for Martin included his first goal on Oct. 29, 2010 and the Stadium Series at Yankee Stadium in 2014. He also vividly remembers how the fired-up crowd at the Coliseum helped rally the Islanders to a comeback in the return to the Coliseum on Dec. 1, 2018. 

“I remember the first game back at the Coli against the Columbus Blue Jackets,” Martin said. “We were down 2-0… but then the place started going bananas and we fought our way back.”

The game was one in his own personal return to the Islanders. Selected in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Draft, Martin played 438 games with the Islanders over the course of seven seasons before spending two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-2018. When Martin made his return to the Island ahead of the 2018-19 season, he was welcomed by many of the same teammates that he began his career with.

“It’s often that guys leave an organization and get opportunity to come back,” Martin said. “Not only come back, but come back to a lot of the same guys and to the same to line mates. It kind of fell back together again. It felt like home and there was no real adjustment for me, settling back in here, so that was pretty, pretty amazing.”

In between the memorable games and his connection with his teammates, Martin built his family on Long Island and cherishes his years spent in the organization.

“I’m very blessed and grateful for not only the opportunity to play in the NHL, but for how long I've been with this team.” Martin said. “I got married here and settled my life down here. I have two kids that are going to grow up in this community, so I'm surrounded by things I appreciate and being able to do what I've done in New York has brought all those things to fruition.”

Though Tuesday’s 900th NHL game will be a a meaningful night for Martin and his family, he said he’ll save most of his reflection for his post-playing days. For now, he’s concentrated on the next game.

“But I'm just still focused on the everyday, day to day just doing the right things and getting ready for the season,” Martin said. “I think a lot of time for reflection will come down the road, but right now we're just gearing up to win a hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes.”