It’s one thing to play through a nagging or minor injury, it’s an entirely different thing to skate more than 22 minutes a game on a broken foot for over a month while blocking a playoffs-leading 72 shots.
But that’s exactly Alec Martinez did.
The Vegas Golden Knights veteran defenceman revealed the injury Saturday as the team conducted its exit interviews following its Game 6 ouster from the Stanley Cup semifinals at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
“I was getting wheeled around a lot. Our medical staff is awesome here,” Martinez told reporters, per The Athletic‘s Jesse Granger.
“I couldn’t have done it without the medical staff. They were pretty incredible to put me in a position to go out there and compete with the guys. So a big thank you to them.”
In addition to bravely risking further injury with 72 blocked shots — 20 more than No. 2 and teammate Alex Pietrangelo — Martinez also put up six points in 19 post-season games, including the clutch third-period tally that forced overtime in Game 6.
Martinez recorded 32 points in 53 regular-season games with the Golden Knights, scoring at a career-best 0.60 points per game.
The 33-year-old is slated to become an unrestricted free agent as his six-year, $24-million contract — signed while a member of the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 — expires in the off-season.
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