Harvard Hockey Star Inks NHL Contract

Steve Martins '95, one of the best hockey players Harvard has seen in recent years, signed a multi-year contract with the National Hockey League's (NHL) Hartford Whalers.

The contract was announced by the Hartford, Conn. team Tuesday, and follows Martins' graduation from Harvard this past June. Martins was the fifth overall pick in the NHL's 1994 Supplementary Draft.

"Basically, we've been watching Steve for the last couple of years, and we feel that he has the chance to be a legitimate NHL player," said Frank P. Polnaszek, spokesperson for the Whalers.

The Supplementary Draft, which used to allow players over the age of 20 to be drafted to the NHL, gave the Whalers the rights to Martins as a player upon his graduation from Harvard. The Supplementary Draft was abolished last year.

Twenty-three-year-old Martins will join the Whalers, along with 19-year-old Nolan Pratt who also signed with the team yesterday, at the team's training camp in September.

Martins played varsity ice hockey at Harvard for four seasons, leading the team in points and assists during his junior and senior year, and leading the team in goals during his senior year.

"He is an excellent skater, an excellent stick handler and an excellent play-maker," said Michael A. Jackman, assistant director of the Office of Sports Information.

Martins, a native of Quebec, collected numerous collegiate hockey awards, including ECAC Player of the Year ('93-'94), First Team All-ECAC ('93-'94), All ECAC Tournament Team (1994), Ivy League Player of the Year ('93-'94), Ivy League Rookie of the Year ('91-'92) and Best New England Forward ('93-'94).

Martins was also Harvard's Most Valuable Player his junior and senior years, and was voted an All-American in 1994.

Teammate J. Ashlin Halfnight '96 said Martins "definitely deserves [the NHL contract] as much as anyone in the world.He led the [Harvard men's] team his junior andsenior years, and he definitely can continue inthe pros.