Martin St. Louis

Martin St. Louis with the Lester B Pearson award (http://nhl.speedera.net/image)

“To Small” was a fact that was always brought up to 5’7, 175 pound Quebec native Martin St. Louis during every tryout he ever strived for. My entire life I have always dreamed of being like Martin St. Louis with his blistering speed and intense aggressiveness. There are many players in the NHL but Martin stands out to me as a real hero and role model. Martin St. Louis played for the University of Vermont for four years and played in the NHL for seven years, he also played for other teams in the AHL and European hockey league. My goal is to be like Martin St. Louis and to skate among the stars in the NHL.

martin st louisasf (http://aktualne.centrum.sk)

Martin St. Louis was born on June 18, 1975 in Laval Quebec; during his childhood Martin had always dreamed of going to a fancy college and ultimately making the NHL. Martin started skating at the age of three, there was a rink two hundred yards away from his house so he could skate whenever he wanted, other than hockey Martin participated in soccer and gymnastics, although more suited to his size he did not have as much passion for these sports as he did for hockey. When he was growing up he counted Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as his favorite players, but his true hero was Montreal Canadian Mats Naslund because of his small build and smart style of play. When he was thirteen he started playing the bantam level in hockey. Martin was having a hard time because checking became legal at this age, but Martin became motivated by his desire to prove that he could compete with the big boys and he was a star. As every hockey child Martin dreamed of going somewhere in hockey but the difference between Martin and all the other children is that Martin had the skill and desire to get him there.

Martin St. Louis tears past his opponent (http://www.sports-hotline.com.tw/icehockey)

Martin St. Louis played for many elite hockey teams before his NHL career, such as the University of Vermont Catamounts in the ECAC, and the St. Johns Flames in the AHL. In 1993 he started his final steps into the NHL, he played for the University of Vermont for four years in those four years he played 138 games, scored 91 goals and 176 assists for a total of 267 points with the Catamounts. After a decent year with the Cleveland Lumberjacks, Martin played two years with the St. Johns Flames where he racked up 88 points, the next year he played for the Calgary Flames but did really badly and was sent back to the St. Johns Flames where he scored 26 points. Despite the impressive numbers at the University of Vermont, Martin was never drafted into the NHL. Even though he was never drafted he never gave up and that is the sign of a true hero and role model.

Martin St. Louis hoists the Stanley Cup (http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/pho/AAGK203~Martin-St-Louis-04-Stanley-Cup-06-Photofile-Posters.jpg)

Today Martin St. Louis is a dominating factor in the NHL; he wins many awards and leads his team with heart and with passion. His best season in the NHL was in 2003 when he led the NHL in scoring with 94 points; he also scored an overtime goal in game six of the 2003 Stanley Cup finals to help Tampa Bay claim the Stanley Cup. Martin also has a series of awards including The Hart Memorial Trophy which is for the player who is the most valuable player on his team, The Lester B. Pearson which is voted by the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) for the most outstanding player in the NHL, and the Stanley Cup all in the 2003 season. With his skill and speed, Martin attended two NHL all-star games, one in 2003, and one in 2004. As a veteran in the NHL, Martin St. Louis dominates with his speed, making him a formidable opponent on the ice.

Martin Accelerates using his amazing speed (images.sportsnetwork.com)

Martin St. Louis plays hockey not for the money but for his love and devotion to the game. He skates with great sportsmanship and pride; he has devoted himself to the game and improved it by a lot. Even though his size was against him he doesn’t use it as an excuse if he plays bad he blames it on his work habits. When his team is struggling or losing they can count on him to make that extra play or hit to bring the momentum back. During the draft year Martin was an unnoticed phenomenon that nobody cared about just because he was 5’9, but that never stopped him from working and trying and those actions showed his ability and heart as an elite hockey player.