Paul Martin (ice hockey)
Paul Martin | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 5, 1981 United States |
| Occupation | Ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2003–2018 |
| Known for | Playing for New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and San Jose Sharks in the NHL |
Paul Joseph Martin (born March 5, 1981) is a retired American ice hockey defenseman. Selected 62nd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he spent six seasons with New Jersey before moving to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 and later signing with the San Jose Sharks in 2015.
High school/collegiate
Martin developed his hockey talents at Elk River High School, where he earned the prestigious Mr. Hockey accolade. He then advanced his play at the University of Minnesota, competing in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and playing a key role in securing national titles in both 2002 and 2003.
Professional
Making his NHL debut during the 2003–04 season with the Devils, Martin appeared in 70 games and tallied 24 points. When the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a lockout, he competed for HC Fribourg-Gottéron in Switzerland. Returning to New Jersey for the 2005–06 campaign, Martin improved his output to 37 points across 80 games. He continued to deliver steady performances over subsequent seasons, though injuries curtailed his participation during the 2009–10 season.
On July 1, 2010, Martin signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins, agreeing to a five-year deal worth $25 million. He made his debut for Pittsburgh on October 7, 2010, contributing an assist on a crucial goal and quickly establishing himself against his former club. Martin netted his first Stanley Cup playoff goal in April 2012.
Upon entering free agency again on July 1, 2015, Martin secured a four-year contract valued at $19.4 million with the San Jose Sharks. He advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016 with San Jose but was reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, in January 2018. The Sharks placed him on unconditional waivers for a contract buyout in June of that year.
Martin formally announced his retirement from professional hockey on November 14, 2018.
International play
Martin was selected for Team USA at both the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, joining fellow then-Devils players Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner. Although he did not see ice time in 2006 and missed the Vancouver Games due to a broken arm—replaced by Tim Gleason—he also represented the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where the team did not secure a medal.
Philanthropy
In 2017, Martin established the Shine A Ligh7 Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting groups focused on increasing awareness and reducing stigma related to bullying, depression, and mental health challenges.
Regular season and playoffs
...| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998–99 | Elk River High School | HS-MN | 24 | 9 | 11 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Elk River High School | HS-MN | 24 | 15 | 35 | 50 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 38 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 44 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 45 | 9 | 30 | 39 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 70 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 11 | 3 | '4 | '7 | '2 | |||||||
| 2005–06 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 5 | 32 | 37 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 870 | 50 | 270 | 320 | 238 | 122 | 6 | 40 | 46 | 44 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Outcome | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | United States | WJC | 5th place | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 4th place | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | United States | WC | 6th place | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2008 | United States | WC | 6th place | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014 | United States | OG | 4th place | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Senior totals | 21 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | ||||