EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — It’s the home regular-season finale tonight inside UBS Arena, with the New York Islanders hosting the Washington Capitals. The puck drops just after 7:30 PM. At the morning skate, emotions ran high. The end of the year always brings sadness, especially when a team has no playoffs to look forward to. Today brought an extra layer of emotion. Matt Martin could be playing in his final home game with the New York Islanders.
Debuting toward the end of the 2009-10 season, Martin has played in 16 straight NHL seasons, 14 of which came with the Islanders. His impact here is profound. He integrated himself into the community with his charitable efforts and summer camps, along with his physical play. He became beloved with his linemates Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. In 2015, fans dubbed them “The Best Fourth Line in Hockey (TB4LIH).” After his return from a two-year stint in Toronto, the trio reunited and became the heartbeat for the best stretch of hockey this franchise has seen since the early 1980s. Nationally, they were dubbed “The Identity Line.” Nothing could be a more fitting descriptor.
Martin’s slowly lost his everyday role due to injuries and age, and tonight he skates in his 986th NHL game. After the morning skate ended, the team circled him during the stretch, and he led the team through it. In the room, emotions ran high. Head Coach Patrick Roy announced Martin will start tonight, and additionally announced Kyle Palmieri gave up his ‘A’ to Martin for the game. Roy said if this is his last game, the organization will be doing right by Martin.
For Martin, he sat at his stall and took time to reflect first on just this season, and just how much the fans mean to him: “It’s been a rollercoaster year and not always giving them much to cheer about… This fanbase over the years has been incredible, and when we went on those [deep] runs, they were a big reason why. The crowd at Nassau Coliseum, the energy they bring, is second to none, and they really gave us a big advantage every night.”
After he finished that answer, Martin was asked what it meant to be an Islander. With that, Martin broke down and couldn’t hide his emotion. Here’s the clip: In it, he made it very clear how much this team and the community mean: “I’ve been so proud to wear this jersey and be a part of this team and community… I obviously don’t know what the future holds, but through the good and the bad, the heartbreaks and all of it. It’s always been a pleasure to be a part of this team and wear this uniform. [I’m] excited to get out there and play tonight and go from there.”
Islanders captain Anders Lee made his debut late in the 2012-13 NHL season. By that point, Martin had established himself as a regular and a fan favorite. Lee shared his thoughts on Martin and what he’s meant: “Marty’s meant a lot. He’s meant a lot to this organization on and off the ice. I think the impact he’s made in the community, the way he’s handled himself and represented, being an Islander, I think it doesn’t get more true than Marty. He’s been a really good friend and teammate for a long time and I’ve had the pleasure to be in the room with him and go through a lot with him on the ice and in the room. [He’s] just a special person that I think has had a hell of a career and deserves all the recognition and honors moving forward and being recognized as one of the great Islanders for what he’s done for this team and the organization.”
Then, I spoke with Simon Holmstrom, the youngest regular player on these Islanders, who made it to the show as the old core began to transform. Holmstrom acknowledged Martin’s massive role in the team: “He’s been a massive part of this team for a long time now. He’s one of the leaders on this team, both on and off the ice, and he takes care of everybody and always checks in and always has a big smile on his face and laughs around. Like I said, he’s been a massive part of this team.”
When asked about Martin’s potential departure adding to the guys who have already left (Bailey, Nelson, Clutterbuck, etc.), Holmstrom had a wise-beyond-his-years response: “You’ve got to take a lot of pride; there’s a lot of history with this team. I think these guys here, they’ve been here for a long time, they’ve done a great job with that. I think it’s up to us young guys to carry it on and carry on this legacy and fight for those cups in the upcoming years. This year was a disappointment, but we’re going to have to get stronger next year.”
Tonight will be an emotional night. Martin takes and deserves every headline he gets, but the last home game is always hard for all involved. A lot of hard work goes into a season, and as one comes to an end, it’s easy to be disappointed, as the players are. With tonight signifying game #81 and the final one at UBS Arena, enjoy it, Islanders fans. After tonight, UBS Arena goes dark (save for concerts) until October.
