One of the longest-tenured New York Islanders may be hanging up his skates, but he won’t be stepping away from the organization.
The Islanders announced Tuesday that long-time forward Matt Martin has retired from the NHL and will now move into a front-office role with the team, becoming an assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche.
Martin, 36, enjoyed a 15-year NHL career and spent most of it with the Islanders over two separate stints.
Drafted by the New York team in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Draft, the Windsor, Ont. native spent the first seven years of his career in Long Island. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency and spent two years there before being traded back to the Isles in 2018.
He would spend the remaining seven seasons with the Islanders.
Well-regarded as a top enforcer, Martin tallied 1,168 penalty minutes over his 987 NHL regular-season games. His 995 penalty minutes with the Islanders are the sixth-most in franchise history.
Martin managed to notch 81 goals and 97 assists for 178 points in his career.
