I’M DYING. THEY’RE AT A CHRISTMAS MARKET. ON A FERRIS WHEEL. IT’S 20 DEGREES. THEY’RE HUDDLING TOGETHER. GIGGLING AND BEING CUTE. AFTER THAT TRASH FIRE SHOOTOUT LAST NIGHT. EVERYTHING IS GOOD IN THE WORLD.
non-hockey followers, i just really need for you to understand what you’re seeing here. this is matt martin, who last year had more fights as a new york islander than the entire leafs hockey team combined.
the leafs brought him on to protect their rookies. one of their rookies is mitch marner. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS THE BIG SPOON.
[Matt Martin’s] role with the Maple Leafs this season is to be the brawn — create space, keep the opposition honest — playing alongside the likes of William Nylander or Mitch Marner.
His role is to be like their big brother, always on the lookout for their welfare.
“Theybrought me here for a reason,” Martin said of Leafs management. “I’ve played the game a certain way for seven years. I’m going to continue to play the game the way I did in New York: Be a physical presence, a rough style game. At the same time, there’s an opportunity to produce more offence.”
His knuckles might come in handy to help ensure that veterans on other teams don’t take advantage of Toronto’s younger, smaller players like William Nylander and Mitch Marner.
Steel Phoenix Studios 