Leafs see leading scorer Patrick Martens takes flight from KIJHL, joins BCHL's Langley Rivermen
By Bruce Fuhr
If the Nelson Leafs want to get back into the Neil Murdoch race the Heritage City franchise needs to do it without the team’s leading scorer, Patrick Martens.
Martens packed his bags following Tuesday’s practice and waved goodbye to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, signing a card with the Langley Rivermen of the B.C. Hockey League.
“I got the call Monday from (Leaf coach) Frank (Maida) saying that Langley wanted to sign me,” Martens told The Nelson Daily Wednesday night during a cell phone conversation outside Hope, en route to the Fraser Valley.
“The Langley coach (Steve O’Rourke) called and said he wanted to sign me to a card.”
“It all happen so fast and came right out of the blue,” Martens added. “I’m pretty surprised because I was going to play in Trail (Wednesday) as an affiliate player, but Langley wanted me so I decided to go with them.”
Seeing the departure of their leading offensive threat is nothing new to the Leaf management or fans.
During the hey-day of the Simon Wheeldon years, the Leafs lost their top two offensive threats in Dan and Kyle Fraser. The twins were shipped out to Ontario when a Junior A team came calling.
“I’m excited for the team and I’m excited for Patrick,” Leafs coach and GM Frank Maida said Wednesday, adding the Rivermen have had their eyes on Martens for most of the season.
“I’m excited for the (Leafs) because Patrick leaving allows two players a chance to step up — one into Patrick’s spot and the other onto the roster.”
Martens has been on fire for most of the KIJHL season. The six-foot, 180-pound speedster leaves Nelson as the scoring leader with 22 goals and 17 assists in 21 games.
He also had a 14-game scoring streak going before it was snapped during the weekend in Princeton.
Martens, 18, however, rebounded to accumulate four points in the next two games, including the winner Sunday in Osoyoos against the Coyotes.
“It’s going to be an adjustment,” Martens said of the latest challenge in his hockey career. “There’s going to be a size difference and the speed of the game is faster. But I believe I can make the jump.”
Signing with Langley, now holding down the basement in the Coastal Conference with a 6-11 record, allows Martens to return home.
The Maple Ridge resident gets to sleep in his own bed and have the Martens family fan club attend most of the Rivermen games.
“Yeah, my parents are really excited,” said Martens, who only knows Trail’s Danny Vlanich on the Rivermen.
“I called them right after I found out and they’re pretty happy. Now they’ll be able to watch me live instead of just a couple of times or on the internet.”
Martens is expected to practice with the Rivermen Thursday before dressing for a pair of weekend games against Chilliwack and Alberni Valley.
“I’m definitely going to miss playing in Nelson,” he said. “It was nice to get away and Nelson is a real nice city to play in.”
OVERTIME: Nelson’s coaching staff have another defenceman in camp after acquiring J.J. Beitel when the Calgary native was released by the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL. The 6’1”, 195-pound Beitel had three assists in 14 games for Trail . . . The addition of Beitel gives Leaf coach Frank Maida nine defencemen in camp. However, four — captain Tyler Parfeniuk, Riley Henderson, Blake Arcuri and Julian Davis — of the rearguards are injured . . . Nelson, 5-5 in its last 10 games, travels to Fernie Thursday to play the Ghostriders. The Leafs next home game is Saturday against winless Grand Forks Border Bruins. Game time is 7 p.m.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
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