ECHL: Craig Martin Returns To Jacksonville

Offseason roster building for the Jacksonville Icemen roster continues, as the team announced today that forward Craig Martin would be returning to the team for the 2023-24 season. Martin and the Icemen made a one-year deal official, bringing back the forward for a fifth season in the River City. Martin is the latest player to rejoin the Icemen locker room, adding his name to a list of player returns that keep growing for Jacksonville.

Originally signed to the Adirondack Thunder, Martin joined the Icemen roster during the 2019-20 season after being acquired in a trade that sent forward James Phelan to the Thunder in return. Making a quick impact with the team, Martin registered 21 (7g, 14a) points in his first 41 games with the Icemen. Now heading into his fifth season as a member of the Icemen roster, Martin has accumulated 130 games of additional experience in an Icemen uniform, putting him third on the list for most games played with the organization at 171. During the 2021-22 season, Martin collected 60 points in 66 games and won the honor of being named the league’s player of the month in December 2021. Last season he began the year playing for Slovakian club HC Presov. He scored four goals and added five assists in 20 games with the club before making his trek back across the pond to rejoin the Icemen. Once back in an Icemen uniform, Martin scored at a point-per-game pace, amassing 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 32 games.

In addition to his gratuitous amount of regular season experience with the team, Martin has also been one of the Icemen’s most consistent point scorers in the postseason. Through 17 playoff games, Martin has scored 17 points, including six goals and seven assists scored during last season’s Kelly Cup Playoff run.

Craig Martin has got that dawg in him.

Scoring 125 points in 171 games, the return of Martin to the Icemen line-up is the return of a truly lethal, versatile player. Perhaps one of the Icemen’s most consistent roster performers, Martin’s two-way game wreaks havoc on opponents. He’s not scared to get to the dirty areas of the ice and compete for pucks and is tenacious on the backcheck. Offensively, his scoring stats speak for themselves and serve as a testament to his ability to stay with the play and find scoring chances. Alongside other offensive bulldogs, such as Derek Lodermeier, Craig Martin provides the team with another dependable forward capable of producing points on either side of the puck. He’s consistent, he’s reliable, and his contributions should be warmly welcomed, yet again, on the Icemen’s scoresheet.

Craig Martin and the rest of the Icemen roster will be back in action when the season begins on October 21st.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Andrew Willis

Andrew Willis is a freelance hockey reporter covering the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen for Inside The Rink and the Vancouver Canucks for The Canuck Way. His work has been featured on Hockey of Tomorrow and The Daily Faceoff, and can be found on Twitter/X @FromTheDrewLine.

Leave a Reply

ECHL Game Recap: Indy Fuel vs Adirondack Thunder | 03/28/2025

The Adirondack Thunder kicked off Stick It To Cancer Weekend, a weekend that is bigger than the game on the ice. Last Year on Stick It To Cancer Weekend, the Thunder raised $46,897 to benefit C.R. Wood Cancer Center’s Randy’s Patient Assistance Fund. For Adirondack Thunder forward Ryan Wheeler, Stick it To Cancer Weekend touches […]

Read More

ECHL: Josh Ho-Sang Returns To Florida Everblades

The Florida Everblades have announced that they’ve re-signed forward Josh Ho-Sang for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Ho-Sang signed with the Everblades on March 12, 2024, and would put up two goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 11 games at the end of the regular season. He would prove to be a […]

Read More

PHOTOS: Jacksonville Icemen vs. South Carolina Stingrays – 03/23/2025

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Stingrays are on fire, extending their winning streak to 11 games with an exciting 5-4 overtime victory against the Jacksonville Icemen at the North Charleston Coliseum. The game took place in front of a lively crowd of 6,421 fans on a Sunday afternoon. Alexander Suzdalev scored twice, alongside goals from […]

Read More