After six seasons with the Cardiff Devils, Joey Martin is moving on.
Martin has accepted a contract to play in Austria for the Graz 99ers, a team the Devils previously faced in the Champions Hockey League in the 2019-20 season. Martin originally joined the Devils prior to the 2014-15 season, the first season with the new ownership at the helm and the first year of Andrew Lord as head coach. That season saw Martin lead the Devils in scoring and earn a selection to the League’s First All-Star Team. The Devils also won their first title in the new era with the 2015 Challenge Cup victory that season.
The following season in 2015-16, he again led the Devils in scoring, was picked as the League’s Top Forward and the League MVP. In 2016-17 Martin won the League’s Top Forward award for the second time as the Devils won their first of back to back league titles as well as their second Challenge Cup in 3 years. The 2017-18 season saw the Devils win the league again as well as their first Playoff Championship in 19 years while Martin won the Elite League’s Top Forward for a third time and the League MVP for the second time in three years.
2018-19 saw the Devils win their second Playoff Title in a row and Martin get selected to the League’s First All-Star Team for a fifth season in a row. His final season as a Devil, he was named Captain after Jake Morissette retired and although he missed a portion of the season with a wrist injury, he bounced back to score 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 49 games before Covid brought the season to an early finish.
Last season saw Martin move to Norway and the Stavanger Oilers after the Elite League season was called off. He played 19 games with Stavanger scoring 11 goals and 8 assists before their season finished early due to continued delays due to the pandemic.
Devils Managing Director Todd Kelman spoke with great admiration about Joey Martin and what he has done for the club:
“Joey Martin has been the face of this organisation for 6 seasons. He was our best player and a leader for us on and off the ice. His personal accomplishments speak for themselves, but his will to win and ability to play his best in big games is something I have always admired. As much as we will miss him here in Cardiff, he has a great opportunity in front of him with a solid organisation and we wish him well.”
