Breakaway on SI

Three-Time Stanley Cup Champion Defenseman Announces Retirement

Another Chicago Blackhawks veteran is hanging up his skates.

Jon Alfano

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez (25) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez (25) skates against the Vegas Golden Knights. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
In this story:

For the Chicago Blackhawks, Saturday's matchup against the Winnipeg Jets was already going to be an emotional one, as veteran forward Pat Maroon previously announced that it would be his final NHL game.

What they didn't expect is that he isn't the only veteran hanging up his skates after this game.

In a pre-game interview with Chicago Sports Network's Darren Pang, 37-year-old defenseman Alec Martinez announced that Saturday's game would be his last in the NHL as well. Like Maroon, Martinez will not play in the Blackhawks' final two games of the season, which come on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday and the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

“You’re going to make me tear up," an emotional Martinez told Pang. "I’ve got to get ready for a game but obviously a lot of different emotions today."

“Just very thankful, very appreciative. I have a lot of people, my family, a lot of people who helped me along the way in this game to get here. Once I got here, my wife (Emily), my son, my daughter that I’m going to have in about five days. Just I suppose I’ll have more time to reflect in the coming weeks, but just very thankful, very appreciative of a lot of different things and a lot of different people.”

This season, Martinez has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 43 games. The Michigan native signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Blackhawks last offseason.

Martinez has three Stanley Cup championships to his name, winning with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014, as well as with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. He was a playoff hero for the Kings in 2014, scoring series-winning goals in overtime against both the Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final and the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Martinez began his career with the Kings as a 2007 fourth-round pick from Miami (Ohio).

Martinez returned to the lineup Saturday after missing the past nine games due to a hip injury. As an added bonus, his parents made the trip to United Center to watch him in his final game.

“It truly is the best part. I’ve said that a lot this week, I feel like a broken record," Martinez said. "The best part about this game are the people you meet along the way and the friendships that last forever and that’s the most special thing."

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Published
Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.

Home/News Feed Page