Alec Martinez brings a ton of experience and a winning pedigree to a Blackhawks team that will gain a lot from him in the room and on the ice.
The Chicago Blackhawks will be a much more competitive team in 2024-25, but the organization still has a lot of young players, either on its NHL roster or coming through the system. There can never be enough leadership and successful veterans to help guide the talent toward success.
Defenseman Alec Martinez was one of eight free agents signed on the first day of 2024 free agency by the Blackhawks. Chicago gets a three-time Stanley Cup winner who's been through it all. Not only does the 36-year-old Martinez remember the players who helped him reach this point in his career, but brings a ton of veteran experience to a team on the rise.
Some of the players on the Blackhawks haven't even played in as many seasons in the NHL as Martinez has won Stanley Cups, but he is clear to say, "I'll be the first to tell you I don't know everything by any means. I do have some experience...I do have the experience of playing in big-time games at the United Center and playing in the playoffs. I would like to think that, to a certain extent, I do know what it takes to win." See the following video.
This will be great experience to share with some of the younger players on the team, especially with young defensemen Kevin Korchinski, Alex Vlasic and others who crack the squad.
Martinez won fairly early in his professional career, but he wasn't in a big role yet. He was still a bottom-pairing defenseman at age 24 and 26 when he won his first two Cups with the Los Angeles Kings. Even though he scored five goals and recorded 10 points in 2014, including an OT game-winner against the Blackhawks, he still had lots to learn from older teammates.
"I've been very fortunate to learn from a lot of older guys and I've been molded by them," Martinez said. "I kind of look at this as an opportunity where I can kind of give back to the game of hockey that has given me a lot. Obviously I know that there is a lot of talent in that room... that was an exciting thing for me."
More than just having an impact on Korchinski and Vlasic, Martinez may get to skate alongside and work with Louis Crevier, Isaak Phillips, Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro, and Nolan Allan and help mold them at a young age.
A mentorship role isn't anything new to Martinez either as he explains "When I was traded from L.A. to Vegas, I think there were a few younger guys, especially on the back-end, that I'm not by any means trying to take any success that they've had because that's theirs. They've worked for it, but I like to think that maybe I helped them a little bit along the way and I have another opportunity to do that here."
The Golden Knights have had a lot of success since they added Martinez to their defense corps in February 2020, including winning a Stanley Cup in 2023. This was the first for Vegas, but the third for Martinez who must have left a good impression on a 24-year-old Shea Theodore, a 21-year-old Nic Hague, and 23-year-old Zach Whitecloud because they are all still on the Golden Knights and playing key roles on defense.
Martinez may not be the same player he was years ago, but he is and still feels like he is effective at what he does, saying "I can't stress enough that I'm not going to sit here and act like I know everything by any means. I make as many mistakes as the next guy. But I thought it was a pretty cool, unique opportunity to play with some younger players with a lot of talent, and if I can help them in any way I can then I'm more than willing to do so and I'm excited to do so."
Martinez will have ample time to lead by example and be a mentor on the Blackhawks.
