Pit Martin, at 64; trade to Blackhawks fueled Bruins' run

HUBERT ''PIT'' MARTIN (Canadian Press via Associated Press)

Pit Martin played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League, became an all-star four times, and served as the Chicago Blackhawks captain.

To Boston Bruins fans, however, Mr. Martin was best known for being a key player in a trade that changed the fortunes of the franchise. On May 15, 1967, the Bruins shipped Mr. Martin, promising young defenseman Gilles Marotte, and backup goalkeeper Jack Norris to Chicago for Ken Hodge, Fred Stanfield, and an eventual mainstay of the powerhouse Bruins teams of the early 1970s, Phil Esposito.

Mr. Martin died Sunday after his snowmobile plunged into an icy lake in Quebec, police said. He was 64.

Constable Marie-Josee Ouellet told the Associated Press that Mr. Martin was driving the vehicle on Lake Kanasuta in northwestern Quebec when the ice cracked and he plunged into the freezing water. Divers were attempting to retrieve Mr. Martin's body.

Hubert "Pit" Martin, a nifty passing center, broke into the NHL for one game with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1961-1962 season. He was with the Wings for two full seasons before being acquired by the Bruins. His best season with the Bruins was in 1966-67, when he scored 20 goals.

The deal following that season was orchestrated by Milt Schmidt, then assistant general manager.

"Back then, outside of Marotte and [Bobby] Orr, we didn't have a heck of a lot," Schmidt told the Globe in 1990. He recalled that Hap Emms, his boss, objected to the trade, but club owner Weston Adams was in favor.

"But how would anyone have known that it would work out the way it did?" Schmidt said. "The way that club came together, I honestly feel that we could have beaten anyone up to that time - the Canadiens, anyone in the '40s. It was one heck of a team, a mixture of everything."

Esposito ended up becoming the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season with 126 in the 1969 season. He repeated the feat five consecutive seasons between 1971 and 1975. With Orr, he led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972.

Meanwhile, Mr. Martin became a leader on the Blackhawks. At 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, he was a strong skater and playmaker whose best years came on Chicago's MPH line with Jim Pappin and Bobby Hull. The Blackhawks had been planning to honor the line at the United Center this season.

Mr. Martin won the Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance in 1969-70, his first of three 30-goal campaigns. His best year was during 1972-73 season, when he finished with 90 points, including 61 assists.

In all, he played 1,101 NHL games, finishing his career with the Vancouver Canucks. He amassed 809 points.

Former Blackhawks teammate Dale Tallon, now the team's general manager, said that Mr. Martin was a "wonderful guy" and a great hockey player.

"He was a very smart player with good speed and an excellent playmaker," said Tallon, who were teammates through most of the 1970s in Chicago.

Mr. Martin, who would have turned 65 next week, lived on an island in a lake that was reached by boat in summer and snowmobile in winter, but there were always tricky periods in spring and fall when the ice had to be tested regularly, Tallon said.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this obituary.