Alec Martinez was back in the visitors locker room at T-Mobile Arena for the first time in five years Thursday morning.
It led him to recall some interesting times.
“Brings back memories of that playoff series where the Knights dusted us in four,” said Martinez, referring to the first-round meeting between the Knights and Los Angeles Kings in 2018.
Little did Martinez know he would be celebrating his third Stanley Cup championship in the home locker room down the hall five years after that first-round exit. The 37-year-old was traded from the Kings to the Knights in 2020 and became a blue-line fixture during his time in Las Vegas.
Martinez left the organization as a free agent this summer and signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1. He will face the Knights at T-Mobile Arena for the first time since his departure at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Martinez can expect a tribute video honoring his accomplishments with the franchise. It’s well-deserved. Martinez was one of the most popular players in the Knights locker room after being acquired for two second-round picks Feb. 19, 2020.
The transition was a little awkward at first. Martinez played eight games and, in his words, “then the whole world shuts down” because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He eventually played 221 regular-season games and 67 playoff games with the Knights, including all 22 during the team’s Stanley Cup championship run in 2023. Martinez scored a goal in the team’s Game 5 clincher against Florida.
“I’m very appreciative of the whole organization for bringing me in there,” Martinez said. “I look at it as some of the favorite times and years of my career. It’s something that, probably when I’m done, I’ll think about it more. I certainly look back on my time here fondly.
“I think it’s different when you win with a group, but I think at that point, even if we didn’t win that year, that was probably one of the most fun years I’ve had in terms of a special group.”
Martinez was also grateful for how the Knights handled his numerous “scary injuries,” like when he was cut near his left eye with a skate Nov. 12, 2021, and required at least 50 stitches.
“Very appreciative of the organization of things they did for me,” he said. “The money they spent, the time, all that to try and make me feel somewhat normal again.”
Martinez said he contemplated retirement after the Knights’ first-round exit against the Dallas Stars last season. He was comfortable with everything he accomplished if that was it. He also won the Cup in 2012 and 2014 with the Kings and scored the championship-clinching overtime goal in Game 5 of the 2014 Final.
But then the Blackhawks called this offseason and Martinez said he was “able to squeak out another year.” He saw it as an opportunity to give back as a veteran on a young team. It’s still come with more losing than he’s used to. Chicago (17-34-7) has the second-worst record in the NHL.
“It’s been a learning experience,” Martinez said. “Losing is really frustrating, but organizations when you’re in a rebuild, you’ve got to learn to lose so you know how to win, so I think that’s just part of the process right now a little bit.”
The Knights (34-18-6) will try to bounce back after losing 5-2 to the Kings on Monday. Coach Bruce Cassidy is responding by shaking up the forward lines.
Cassidy is reuniting center Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone on the top line and putting them with left wing Brandon Saad. Left wing Ivan Barbashev is shifting to the third line with center Brett Howden and right wing Keegan Kolesar.
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov will make his second straight start for the Knights. He allowed five goals on 19 shots against the Kings.
“We’re not scoring enough, to be honest, so let’s move some pieces around,” Cassidy said. “Let’s see what Saad looks like with them.”
Projected lineup
Brandon Saad — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev — Tomas Hertl — Victor Olofsson
Ivan Barbashev — Brett Howden — Keegan Kolesar
Tanner Pearson — Nicolas Roy — Raphael Lavoie
Nic Hague — Alex Pietrangelo
Noah Hanifin — Zach Whitecloud
Brayden McNabb — Kaedan Korczak
Ilya Samsonov
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
