Game On Magazine 2017 Game On Magazine - Regular Season Edition | Page 67

JON
MARTIN
FINDING
A PLACE
IT’S A GIGANTIC STEP UP THE
B Y S C O T T TAY L O R
Photos by James Carey Lauder
ladder and Jon Martin knows
it. There is nothing about
professional hockey that is
supposed to be easy and Martin
has learned quickly that he’s
in for the ride of his life. Of
course, that doesn’t mean that
eating, sleeping and literally
existing to play hockey isn’t fun.
“Oh, it’s been good here, it’s
been a lot of fun,” said Martin,
shortly after his San Jose
Barracuda beat the Manitoba
Moose 3-2 in a Saturday
afternoon matchup back on Dec.
30. “It’s pro hockey. My first year
was last year and this is a lot
different than junior. I learned a
lot last year and I’m still learning
something new every day but
I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
Jonathan (now Jon) Martin
was one of those can’t-miss
Manitoba kids who was always
going to be a hockey player.
He was born in Winnipeg,
but grew up in Thunder Bay
and started skating when he
was four. He arrived back in
Winnipeg when he was 11
and immediately signed up to
play for the Twins. He moved
up to play for the Bantam
Monarchs and was drafted by
the Kootenay Ice in the seventh
round (135th overall) in the
WHL Bantam Draft in 2010. He
then played a year for the Triple
A Midget Wild and played for
Team Manitoba at the Canada
Winter Games in 2011.
He joined the Ice in 2012
and played three full seasons
in Cranbrook before being
traded, early in his 20-year-
old season, to the Swift
Current Broncos. The Broncos
were thrilled to get him
“Jon Martin is a winner,”
said Broncos coach and general
manager Mark Lamb. “He’s
RE GUL A R S E A S ON E DI TI ON 20 1 8 | G AM E O N | 6 7