Matt Martin is officially a member of the Sarnia Sting's Hall of Fame.
The OHL team held an induction ceremony before Friday's game against the Barrie Colts, a 2-1 overtime loss, in honour of the popular fan favourite.
Martin was joined on the ice by his wife Sydney and daughters Ali and Winnie.
Many former teammates shared well wishes during a pregame video, including Steven Stamkos, Jakob Chychrun, Connor Murphy and Tony DeAngelo.
Speaking at a media conference, with his daughter by his side, Martin said Sarnia holds a special place in his heart.
"Sarnia is the place that my career kind of took off really," said Martin. "I wouldn't have had the career that I had if it wasn't for this organization and this community and the fans. I'm forever grateful for this place. I made a lot of friendships over the years and I still stay in touch with a lot of these guys. Ultimately, we never won here but a lot of great memories at the end of the day."
A special plaque was installed in the club's hall of fame, located inside of Progressive Auto Sales Arena.
The Windsor native went undrafted in his early junior years before making the Sting as a training camp walk-on in 2006.
Martin played three seasons for the Sting, and was captain for the 2008-09 campaign.
In 166 regular season games with Sarnia, the physical power forward recorded 63 goals, 46 assists, and 109 points, playing a key role in the club’s success during his OHL career.
Martin was selected by the New York Islanders in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft.
During his 987-game NHL career with the Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, he put away 81 goals and added 97 assists.
Martin currently works for the Islanders as Special Assistant to the General Manager.
Other members of the Sarnia Sting's Hall of Fame include Rob Ciccarelli, Andy Delmore, Aaron Brand, Trevor Letowski, Jon Sim Patrick DesRochers, and Jeff Heerema.
