After signing a 4-year deal with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, veteran Paul Martin took the time to say farewell and thank-you to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Martin had been with the Penguins for the past five seasons, acting as one of the team's most reliable bodies on the back-end. But as he moves on from the city, the blueliner wrote a long and touching goodbye for The Player's Tribune, thanking former teammates, fans, and management for his time there.
He writes, in part:
I came to Pittsburgh because I wanted to win a Stanley Cup, and even though it’s really disappointing that we never achieved that goal, I’m so thankful for my five years in Pittsburgh. I built a lot of friendships and grew a lot as a person.
Martin finished his Penguin career with 17 goals and 109 points in 297 games.
The 34-year-old explained how he would see his No. 7 around Pittsburgh all the time, though it was usually after a No. 8 or before a No. 1 - indicating the love for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - and concluded in his letter that things might not get better in San Jose.
So thank you, Pittsburgh. And hello, San Jose. I can’t catch a break. I’ve got some stiff competition in the team store with Thornton, Marleau, Couture, Burns … I might have to buy a bunch of teal no. 7 jerseys and circulate them around the city. Keep your eye out.
