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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
It was Fan Appreciation night, but it was a night for the fans to show their appreciation to Matt Martin. The seats at UBS Arena were occupied by t-shirts, a sight usually reserved for playoff games destined for memorable moments. Last night’s meaningless game wasn’t memorable for any reason other than Martin.
Martin started the game, where former teammate Anthony Beauvillier lined up and jokingly asked if he wanted to drop gloves. “He asked me if I wanted to go,” said Martin. “He's a scrappy little guy, though. You got to be careful with him.”
Earlier in the day, the Islanders announced that Martin, for the third time, was their nominee for the King Clancy Award. That provided the perfect opportunity for the team to pay tribute to Martin and the final media timeout of the third period. He skated onto the ice, and received a standing ovation as a video tribute focused on his contributions to the Long Island community played above him.
As the horn sounded, the Islanders remained on the ice to salute their fans for the last time, but not before the Washington Capitals lined up, starting with Tom Wilson, to shake his hand as his teammates stick tapped from afar.
From there, Martin made his way to center ice, where he stood alone before waiving his teammates in for a group hug. "I was standing on the ice by myself long enough. It’s good to have my friends with me. It was a proper sendoff for a player and person who personified what it meant to be an Islander.
