Playing Career
Nicknamed Pit after a comic strip character in a French newspaper, Martin was scouted by former NHL goaltender Wilf Cude and joined the Red Wings organization. He is remembered among hockey fans as being involved in one of the most one-sided trades in history. In May 1967, Martin, alongside Gilles Marotte and Jack Norris, were traded from Boston to Chicago for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield. This has long been considered one of the most lopsided trades in hockey history regarding Chicago, giving up core elements of the future Boston powerhouse teams. However, Martin himself was the sole bright spot of the trade for the Black Hawks, starring for them for ten seasons as a skilled two-way centre and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in four straight seasons.
Martin played 1101 career NHL games from 1961–62 to 1978–79. He recorded 324 goals and 485 assists for 809 points. His best statistical season was the 1972–73 season when he set career highs with 61 assists and 90 points, adding ten goals in the playoffs as the Hawks made it to the Stanley Cup finals.
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