TRURO, N.S. – Millbrook’s Hunter Martin will play for a Maritime Junior Hockey League title, beginning this weekend in Yarmouth.
Martin, 18, is a defenceman for the Campbellton Tigers, who meet the Mariners in a best-of-seven Canadian Tire Cup final series. Game 1 is Saturday in Yarmouth at 7:30 p.m., followed by Game 2 Sunday at 7 p.m.
Martin, six-foot-two, 190 pounds, has been a solid blueline presence in his rookie season with the Tigers.
“He’s a big kid and he plays with an edge,” said Tigers head coach Greg Leland. “He doesn’t mind getting his nose dirty, but still, at 18, he’s a little raw around the edges in terms of playing without the puck. But that’s our job as coaches to help him develop in that area, and he came a long way during the year; he plays valuable minutes for us.”
As a young player, Martin has had the opportunity to learn from veteran teammates, including 20-year-old blueliners Brendan Bornstein, Pierre-Luc Lurette, Pier-Olivier Michaud and Francis Thibeault.
Martin, who played minor hockey in Truro and major midget in Pictou County, was drafted by the Amherst Ramblers in 2017 in the third round (42nd overall). He was traded to the Tigers last summer in a deal that sent Casey Fox to the Ramblers. His Quebec major junior league playing rights are owned by the Sherbrooke Phoenix, who selected Martin in the seventh round (125th overall) in 2017.
During the regular season, Martin scored one goal and added five assists in 37 games. He has appeared in six playoff games for the Tigers.
The Tigers defeated regular-season champion Summerside Western Capitals in six games to win the Eastlink North Division title, while the Mariners beat the South Shore Lumberjacks, also in six games, to win the South Division.
The MHL final series shifts to Campbellton next Thursday, Friday and Sunday (if necessary).
