Jordan Martinook brings the Stanley Cup home to Leduc

LEDUC -- Stanley Cup champion Jordan Martinook celebrated his day with the cup in Leduc on Aug. 11. 

The Carolina Hurricanes forward held a community celebration at the Leduc Recreation Centre to share the monumental achievement with the residents of his hometown. The 34-year-old NHLer spent the majority of his youth in Leduc after moving to the city when he was eight years old. He played his minor hockey in Leduc until the age of sixteen before moving on to the Western Hockey League.

Martinook then went on to be drafted 58th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and later became a key member of the Hurricanes' 2025-2026 Stanley Cup winning team. He spoke with 93.1 The One about his earliest memories of living in Leduc, his relentless work ethic, and what it means to him to be able to bring the Stanley Cup back to his hometown.

ONE FM: What were your earliest memories of growing up in Leduc, and do you remember when hockey first became a part of your life? 

Martinook: Hockey was a part of my life before I moved to Leduc -- I moved here when I was eight years old, and had been playing since I was about four. It was definitely something I was very much into. My earliest memories of Leduc was playing on teams with the friends I still have today, that are going to be a part of my day (with the cup). I think hockey is such an incredible sport because you get to create relationships that last a lifetime, and those relationships are still part of my life today which is something that's pretty special.

ONE FM: At what point did you realize that a career in pro hockey could become a reality, and what sort of mentorship did you have in helping to realise that goal?

Martinook: Probably when I was in Vancouver. My second year I had a really good season and was talked about being drafted. I got drafted late at 19, and then I played pro within two and a half months, so it all happened pretty fast. As for mentorship, I think obviously my coaches -- growing up everybody has an impact on your life and your game. So, I think probably every coach that I ever had, and still to this day, they all have an impact on the way I play, and the way I am.

ONE FM: You've been described by your teammates as a heart-and-soul type of player with a relentless work ethic, at what point did you develop those values?

Martinook: Probably from a pretty young age. I was never the most talented or skilled player, so I always knew that there were other things I would have to do to make an impact. I knew if that if I was the hardest working player on the ice, that that would bode well for me. That's something that I've always instilled in myself. I wanted to be known as is a hard-working player that no one would work harder than. That's something I like to hang my hat on; that's for sure.

ONE FM: The Hurricanes had been considered a Stanley Cup contender for several years, but prior to this spring had always come up just short. What was different about this year's run compared to years past?

Martinook: We stayed healthy. I don't think this was the best team we've ever had, I just think it's the healthiest team. Obviously, we were really good, and I'm not discounting that at all, but we stayed healthy. Every year it felt like we had a major injury and whenever you're down a couple players you're used to playing with, it affects your team. This year, I think we had one guy miss one game, and that's something that doesn't happen very often. You got to get lucky, and this year we were lucky to stay healthy and everything just kinda clicked for us.

ONE FM: I read that during COVID you came back to Leduc to help out local U-18 AAA players, what was that experience like?

Martinook: Yeah, obviously I wasn't playing with the NHL shut down, and minor hockey was still trying to find a way to play. I'm pretty close with Ryan Rechner, who's very involved in Leduc hockey, and I wanted to be a part of the team. I was a little bit of a guest coach. We practiced a lot, and ended up only playing one game, because every time we went to play a team would have COVID cases and we wouldn't be allowed. I had so much fun doing that, I think whenever you can share some of your knowledge of the game with people, it's something that's rewarding. I still follow a lot of the kids I had on that team. It was a lot of fun. I wish we would have got more games.

ONE FM: I'm sure you have a lot left in the tank in your playing career, but have you ever considered getting into something like coaching or mentoring after that?

Martinook: My sole focus is on still playing, so I haven't thought about that. I have a family, I have a seven-year-old, a five-year-old, and a one-year-old, and they've been riding shotgun for their whole lives, especially my wife. When it is time, and hopefully that's not for a few years, but when it is time for me to hang up the skates it's probably time for me to ride shotgun for some of their dreams and their aspirations.

ONE FM: How does it feel to bring the Stanley Cup to Leduc and be able to celebrate the achievement with the community?

Martinook: I grew up here, I played hockey from eight to sixteen here, so it's definitely had a big impact on me. When I was five-years-old living in Estevan, Saskatchewan, and the cup was doing a tour, and it ended up being in Estevan. I got to go take my picture with it and to this day that's a core memory of my life. If I can give that same memory to some kids and people then I think that's something pretty special, because that's something that was special to me. It's exciting.