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Martin St. Louis a Future Hockey Hall of Fame Member? |
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Earlier this week, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis was named as a finalist for the 2013 Lady Byng Trophy, an award given to the league’s most “gentlemanly” player. Reading between the lines, the award really comes down to which player exhibits the best sportsmanship over the course of the season. St. Louis, for his part, has already taken home the trophy twice during his award-laden career. He is looking to become the ninth player in league history to win the award at least three times.
In addition to being nominated for the aforementioned Lady Byng trophy, St. Louis has also been nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award. That award is presented to the most outstanding player in the league as voted by the players. Add to those nominations the fact that he has already locked up the Art Ross Trophy, and it becomes incredibly apparent that Martin St. Louis had a dream season. Even at 37 years old, he is getting the job done at an outrageously high level.
When you look at Martin St. Louis as a player, a teammate, and a community minded individual, it’s hard not to wonder whether he will one day find himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame. With 912 points in 979 career games so far, Marty has proven that heart and raw skill can be more than enough to make up for a diminutive stature. His hard work and dedication to his craft have turned him into one of the National Hockey League’s best point producers of all time; he currently sits at 95th on that list. That’s nothing to sneeze at for any player, let alone an undrafted one.
Since being cast off by the Calgary Flames back in 2000, St. Louis has absolutely flourished here in Tampa. In addition to the already mentioned dream season of 2013, Marty had a bucket load of success way back in 2003-04 on a team that Bolts Nation will remember for a long time. Not only did St. Louis help the Lightning capture the Stanley Cup for the first and only time in franchise history that year, but he also brought home a bunch of individual hardware. He was awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsay), the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Art Ross Trophy.
On a team that has been through many ups and downs during twenty years of operation, Martin St. Louis has been a great source of continuity and stability. His presence, demeanor, and work ethic rub off on the entire organization, and do the team a great service. When Marty finally does decide to hang his skates up for good, you can bet that the number twenty-six will be sent straight to the rafters at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Of course, this blogger hopes and believes that Marty still has many, many, many years left in the tank.
The question that the Hockey Hall of Fame will be posed with, if and when it considers Martin St. Louis, is simple. Does this player, who played the game with heart, integrity, and sportsmanship at an incredibly high level for a long time, deserve to be inducted alongside some of the all-time greats? Given all the individual and team accolades that St. Louis has presided over, it’s hard to see the Hall saying no to that question. Marty has overcome adversity, fought through all the naysayers, and built a career that most people in this world could only ever dream of. He is truly one of a kind, and the game is lucky to have him.
Quite possibly the best thing about Marty is the fact that you could take away all the success, all the wins, and all the awards, but it wouldn’t make him any less of a role model or person. St. Louis plays the game the right way, and is the best ambassador that the Tampa Bay Lightning, and hockey for that matter, could ever ask for. With the lights out on another season of Lightning hockey, take a moment to think about all that he has accomplished for this team and its fans over the course of his career. It’s all pretty amazing.
Here’s hoping that Marty has a great summer, and heads into 2013-14 ready to defend his Art Ross Trophy title. As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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