Syracuse, N.Y. — Danick Martel lived in a hotel in downtown Tampa for most of last season, and would make the two-minute walk from his residence to Amalie Arena.
That’s where his Tampa Bay Lightning practice and play. From the moment he awoke on game days until he arrived at that destination, Martel was filled with the same strong surge of hope.
Tonight, he’d think, was the night he’d get to play.
“I was always ready coming into the rink and being ready to play. That’s why maybe they kept me all year long, too. They knew that if they needed a guy in the lineup, even if I was not playing for a month or two, that I would be ready to play,” Martel said. “I was excited every morning. Hopefully, it was a new day. Every time I was coming to the rink and not seeing my number on the board (for the lineup), it was tough. But I had to practice good, make sure the coach sees me. I kept working hard, as hard as possible, and hopefully I have my chance one day.”
That chance seldom came in Tampa Bay last season for Martel, a high-energy, versatile winger. He got action in just nine games, posting a pair of assists. It was something of a lost year for the 24-year-old, a long idle stretch in the formative stages of his career that he’ll never get back.
But that season has receded into the fog of a bigger picture which starts to emerge this week. Martel again is in line to get a heavy workload of minutes starting in the Crunch’s season-opener at Rochester on Friday. Even though that playing time will come in the AHL instead of the NHL to start, good hockey is good hockey.
And that made Martel even cheerier than usual after his first Syracuse practice Wednesday at the War Memorial.
“For sure it’s disappointing. Every young player wants to be in the NHL as quick as possible to make sure they prove themselves,” he said. “My plan is coming back here, have a good season, have some fun with the guys, improve the young kids on the team. I’m a happy guy when I play. I play with passion. That’s pretty much what I’m going to do here. And hopefully I’m a good veteran and leader.
“I’m happy to be here no matter what because I’m allowed to play hockey, so I’m one of the guys that plays in the two best leagues in the world. So for sure I’m excited to start the season on Friday and we’ll see what happens.”
Martel needs to keep driving himself beyond the status of a very good AHL player. That argument was already built in three seasons from 2015-2018 in Lehigh Valley, when he went 22-15, 20-20 and 25-15, respectively. In 2017-18 he also earned four games with the Flyers.
Tampa Bay liked what Martel flashed and claimed him on waivers at the start of last season. He is a dynamic player whose speed made him a great match in the Lightning system.
But it turns out that Martel was little more than a young insurance policy. He was a healthy scratch for most games, a practice player whom Tampa Bay wouldn’t put on waivers to send to Syracuse for fear he might be claimed (although he got in four conditioning assignments with the Crunch).
So Martel did the only thing he could. He tried to get better through his proximity to the best players in the world.
“I was coming to the rink, playing in the best league in the world, best team throughout the season. Looking at those guys practicing, looking at those guys playing just makes me happy too. I’m a hockey player but also I’m a fan of the sport,” Martel said. “So seeing the best players in the league for a season long, I love those guys. Even if I was not playing, they respect me. They try to involve me in the team as much as possible. It was a great experience. Hopefully I bring that to guys here (in Syracuse) and be a good leader around the kids.”
Martel’s bid to make the Lightning again this preseason fell short. Tampa Bay put him on NHL waivers, and when he cleared a got a job with the Crunch.
“Some guys played better than me at camp, maybe. They had more opportunities playing on the power play, on the third line with NHL guys,” Martel said. “But I mean, playing nine games in a season for a team it’s always tough to come back at the start of the season and be better than some guys that played 82 or 86, with playoffs.”
Martel needs to play catch-up quickly. Although he wasn’t hurt last year, he still picked up the layers of rust inevitable after long stretches of inactivity.
“There’s a lot of things to like about Danick’s game. I don’t know what to expect right now, to be honest. I don’t know where his timing is, his conditioning and all that. But he’s a player that’s going to give us depth and experience,” said Syracuse coach Ben Groulx.
“I’ve got a good work ethic. I didn’t play a lot of games last year so maybe at the start of the season will be pretty tough. Still, I’m coming here I’m getting ready for starting the season,” Martel said. “The guys are working so hard down here. I’ve got to skate, I’ve got to move my feet. We’ll see what happens. I’m not stressed about it.”
There is, however, some steam building up. Groulx said he can envision Martel potting at least 20 goals if he plays regularly this season, certainly a realistic target.
Problem is that Martel hasn’t hit the back of the net since April 13, 2018, his last game with Lehigh Valley. So buried close to the surface of Martel’s high-wattage personality is a seriously exuberant goal celebration.
“I’m always a guy that cellys hard when I score,” Martel said. “Not scoring for 12 games in a row is not that bad when you play 82. But when you play 12 in a season and you don’t score in any of them, then it’s a long time. Hopefully it comes as a quick goal at the start of the season. Twenty goals in that league (the AHL) is good. If I’m working hard, it’s pretty much karma. If you work hard, good things happen. If you don’t, then you might have less chances to get some goals. Hopefully I get 20 goals so that means I work really good.”
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