On Tuesday, longtime New York Islanders forward Matt Martin announced his retirement from the National Hockey League. 

He'll serve as a special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche. 

Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) on X#Isles announce that Matt Martin has retired. He’ll serve as a special assistant to GM Mathieu Darche. Stick taps on a great career and kudos to Isles for keeping him around.

Martin, who the Islanders drafted by the Islanders in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Draft, spent 14 of his 16 NHL seasons on Long Island. He played 132 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2016-18 before being re-acquired ahead of the 20218-19 season. 

The 36-year-old, who played 855 games with the Islanders, finishes his career just 13 games shy of reaching the 1,000-game milestone. In 987 career games, Martin has recorded 3,931 hits with 178 points (81 goals, 97 assists). 

Martin's passion for the game and leadership on and off the ice have meant the world to his teammates and the fan base. It's part of why he was the Islanders' 2025-26 nominee for the King Clancy.

He founded the Matt Martin Foundation to maintain his connection with the Long Island community. He hosts an annual hockey camp and poker tournament during the offseason.

The tournament raised money of over $140,000 for service animals, gifting a dog to an FDNY captain. 

The recipient of the award will receive a $25,000 donation to a charity of his choice. Captain Anders Lee became the third Islander to receive the honor last season, joining Bryan Trottier and Doug Weight in 1989 and 2011, respectively.

Him staying around is only a positive for the organization as he begins his career on the management side of things.

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Photo credit: John Jones-Imagn Images