At one moment, Matt Martin was joking about his feelings. His wife said he was happy to say he felt something before he was presumed to be his last home game with the islanders.
Then all the emotions were poured out from him at once. This is a wave that crashes throughout the season, like a tsunami.
Martin paused for a long time. He bowed his head. His lips tremble.
“I’m proud to wear this jersey and be part of this team and community,” he said.
He buried his face in his shirt.
“Obviously, we don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “It’s always been a joy to be part of this team and wear this uniform through good and evil, broken heart and all of that. I’m excited to go out tonight and play and go from there.”
This was a few hours before the game itself where Martin wore the “A” – somehow he’s the first time he’s done in a regular season game, becoming a starting lineup with the Capitals, with the islanders giving him plenty of flowers.
Outside Casey Sizika and Cal Clutterback, who hold comparable positions here, no one embodied the era of islander hockey, which is now as close as Matt Martin.
There was a reason the trio started almost every game under Barry Trotz. They set the tone and created an identity. They were hardworking, blue-collar, physical and shattering. Their persona were perfect for Long Island and perfect for the islanders.
Martin has repeatedly refused to deal with his future, so he can try and go again for the next season.
But it was already shocking that he came back this year, signed a tryout deal and after an injury hit, he appeared on the roster early in the season, played 30 games and provided as much support as possible, then placed it on the roster.
Unlike a year ago, the final atmosphere around Martin extends to players and organizations.
“He’s been a really good friend and teammate for a long time,” Captain Anders Lee said. “I am honored to be in the room with him and to go through a lot with him on the ice and on the room.
“All the recognition and honor that moves forward is deserved and recognized as one of the great islanders of what he did for this team and the organization.”
Aptly, Martin was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy on Tuesday as an Islander nominee, “has best illustrated leadership qualities on and off the ice, making remarkable humanitarian contributions to his community.”
Martin hosts the annual hockey camp in the islander’s practice facility over the summer, and his foundation has contributed to several causes, including the fight against cystic fibrosis.
“The impact he had on the community, the way he treated himself and expressed himself as an islander, is not as true as Marty,” said Lee, the winner of Clancy last year.
It was a difficult year for the islanders. Brock Nelson traded in March and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Core, who got them two memorable final runs of meetings, is now officially underway, with Martin likely joining Nelson, Calclutterback and Josh Bailey as his latest departure.
“It’s separate times, but in a year and a half, you feel that,” Lee said. “Every time one of those people left, it felt like some of us were taking the next step.”
This is just as emotional as others.
“This is a special place,” Martin said.
