Pit Martin

Hubert Jacques "Pit" Martin (December 9, 1943 – November 30, 2008) was Canadian professional centre who served as captain of the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1975 to 1977. He was an NHL All-Star and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner.

Martin played seventeen seasons in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks and Vancouver Canucks.

Playing Career
Nicknamed Pit after a comic strip character in a French newspaper, Martin was scouted by former NHL goaltender Wilf Cude and joined the Red Wings organization.

In 1961-62 he won the Memorial Cup with the Hamilton Red Wings.

He joined the Red Wings full time in 1963-64 and was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1965-66.

He is remembered among hockey fans as being involved in one of the most one-sided trades in history. In May 1967, Martin, alongside Gilles Marotte and Jack Norris, were traded from Boston to Chicago for Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield. This has long been considered one of the most lopsided trades in hockey history regarding Chicago, giving up core elements of the future Boston powerhouse teams. However, Martin himself was the sole bright spot of the trade for the Black Hawks, starring for them for ten seasons as a skilled two-way centre and being named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in four straight seasons.

Martin played 1101 career NHL games from 1961–62 to 1978–79. He recorded 324 goals and 485 assists for 809 points. His best statistical season was the 1972–73 season when he scored 61 assists and 90 points, adding ten goals in the playoffs as the Hawks made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

Death
On November 30, 2008, Martin was reported missing following a snowmobile accident on Lake Kanasuta near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. He was riding a snowmobile behind a friend when the ice on the lake collapsed shortly after his friend had passed over it. Martin was pronounced dead on December 1, 2008. On December 2, 2008, Sûreté du Québec police divers recovered Martin's body from the lake.

Awards

 * OHA-Jr. First All-Star Team (1962)
 * OHA-Jr. MVP (1962)
 * Bill Masterton Trophy (1970)
 * National Hockey League All-Star Game (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)