Martin brings Cup home to tiny Ontario community
On a warm, sunny day in this tiny burg 40 km east of downtown Ottawa it was worth the wait for the guest of honour to arrive — even if he was a few minutes late for the party.
When it takes 30 years to complete the journey, what’s another hour? The population of St-Pascal is about 850 and it’s fair to say more than half of them flocked to the ballpark here Monday afternoon to congratulate hometown hero Jacques Martin on his Stanley Cup victory with the Pittsburgh Penguins and get a picture taken with the coveted mug.
The sign “Felicitations Jacques Martin” as you entered town told the story that this just wasn’t any other day in St-Pascal Baylon. Before the Penguins won the Cup in June, Martin, 63, indicated if he got the chance he’d spend at least part of his day with the chalice here and he delivered. After taking the Cup to his hockey school in nearby Rigaud in the morning, Martin made the short trek here and was greeted by hundreds of adoring fans who wanted a chance to get an up close and personal glimpse.
It meant a lot to them and it meant even more to Martin.
“It’s great to be able to come back to my homestead and to bring the Cup here to the people who helped me with the start of my career,” Martin said. As he arrived at the ball diamond, where a tent had been erected to give people a break in the shade and to house the Cup in case of rain, Martin arrived in the back of a truck with brother Ronald Martin along with former coaches Conrad Guidon and Jean-Marie Maisonneuve. That was done for a reason.
“Those guys were very influential in my career when I was growing up,” said Martin. “They helped developed the hockey, they helped develop the passion and if it wouldn’t have been for those people, I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had for so many years to work in the NHL.
“To be able to bring the Cup and share the moment with the people here is just great.”
If Martin had left the NHL without winning a title, he would have been able to look back on the accomplishments in his career and wear a smile. In 30 years — spent mostly behind the bench with St. Louis, Quebec/Colorado, Ottawa, Florida, Montreal and Pittsburgh — he had never been to a final until this spring.
Yes, there is a sense of you’ve reached the top of the mountain when you’re finally able to lift the Cup over your head and bring it to your hometown, especially after coming so close to winning with the Senators in 2003 when they were knocked off by the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of the East final.
“Thirty years goes fast,” Martin said with a chuckle. “The first thing I thought was, I won the Memorial Cup in one year (with Guelph), and it took 30 years to win the Stanley Cup. It just shows how difficult it’s to win.
“It’s a marathon for two months. I had some good hockey clubs in Ottawa and we weren’t able to win it. To be able to win it last year in Pittsburgh is just outstanding. There’s just a feeling of accomplishment but also a feeling of being privileged to be part of a group that committed, part of a group that grew and knew how to win.”
Installed behind the bench after Mike Sullivan took over in December, Martin saw this group come together at the right time.
“Veterans like Matt Cullen were outstanding,” said Martin, who had a private party with close family and friends at the recreation centre in town after the public event ended. “I can’t say enough about (Sidney) Crosby, (defenceman) Kris Letang and our role players that came up (from the AHL) and they were a big part of the success in the playoffs. We had (Marc-André) Fleury get concussed. Matt Murray steps in and does an outstanding job.
“What was most gratifying is that this wasn’t about individuals, it was about the team and that was the way we played. That’s how we were able to be successful.” Everybody in Martin’s hometown got a chance to celebrate that success Monday afternoon and into the evening.