Matt Martin reflects on fighting NHL’s toughest enforcers during NY Islanders career

Throughout a career built on physicality, loyalty, and fearlessness, former New York Islanders fourth-liner Matt Martin carved out his place in NHL history by embracing a role few could stomach. Now transitioning into life after hockey, the longtime Islanders fan-favorite is reflecting on what it meant to drop the gloves in an era that still demanded it — and the monsters he faced along the way.

“For sure,” Martin told The Cam & Strick Podcast when asked if he came into the league around some real heavies. “I had Trevor Gillies, Joel Rechlicz, Kip Brennan, Michael Haley. There was a hierarchy back then. Those pure fighters started getting phased out, and suddenly guys like me were considered the ‘heavyweights.’ But I always said we weren’t the real heavies. The guys before us—Boogaard, McGrattan, Godard, Twist—those were different animals. They were bigger, meaner. It was a different era. I fought a lot, but those guys? I wouldn’t want to see them every night.”

Martin never shied away from a challenge, even if that meant squaring off against future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara — more than once. Those battles all ended the same way.

“Yeah, I think four times,” he recalled. “He’s so long—it feels like you’re climbing a ladder trying to get close. I always tried to get inside on him, but you’re just hung out to dry in his reach. He’s crazy strong too. You don’t realize it watching him skate, but you feel it when he grabs you. He was one of the scariest guys I ever faced—especially when he was angry. I was lucky he wasn’t mad when we fought.”

One of Martin’s most memorable scraps came during the 2011 Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium—against none other than Matt Rempe, in his first NHL appearance.

“That was his first NHL game. I knew he’d want one,” Martin said. “He was kind of bouncing around in warmups, so I figured it was coming. They scored early, and then our lines matched up. I asked if he wanted to go, told him congrats, and we went. He didn’t say anything beforehand, but I knew the story with his dad and how big that moment was. There was a lot of respect. Fighting in front of 80,000 people at MetLife? That was surreal.”

Through every tilt, Martin understood the stakes.

“There are nerves, always… Every guy who drops the gloves—whether you’re good at it or not—deserves respect. It takes courage. You overcome a lot mentally in those moments.”

With Martin having transitioned from the ice to the front office, the Islanders no longer have an enforcer that will drop the gloves in these moments. That's become less of a requirement on rosters in recent years, but it will be interesting to see how the team fills the void when needed.