Ayrton Martino

January 2024 – Martino is in his junior year of college playing for Clarkson University. In his two seasons with the team, he has been able to fine tune one of the weaker parts of his game. Previously, he was all or nothing, not knowing when to hit the breaks and slow the game down a bit. He is now a much smarter player, able to add all of his tools and apply them when appropriate, making him a better, well-rounded player. Not quite the point-per-game player he was last season, but he leads the team in assists, making him a huge asset to his teammates.  Taylor Newby

June 2022 – Now finished his first season in the NCAA with Clarkson University, Martino put up 29 points in 37 games. This great freshman season was enough to earn him Clarkson’s Rookie of the Year Award, and provides some stability to his status as a prospect with NHL potential. Martino is a very strong skater, and offensive awareness is where he excels, consistently getting himself into useful positions for his teammates. Martino’s playmaking ability is the most exciting aspect of his game, being able to make quick and accurate feeds from tight areas. His dynamic offensive game is great, however he sometimes pushes himself too hard in the early parts of the game, becoming less of a threat as the game progresses. He can be utilized in almost all situations, but due to his high-energy game, he projects as a middle-six and second special team player. Assuming Martino will choose to finish his degree, expect him to hit the pros full time for the 2024-2025 season. Definitely not bad for a third round pick. Aaron Itovitch

July 2021 – Martino was selected in the third round, 73rd overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2021 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

February 2021 – Attack, attack, attack. That’s the mindset the former OJHL star plays with. Ayrton Martino is an interesting prospect who has been on a journey all over North America in the last year. Playing with the St. Michael’s Buzzers in the OJHL last season before making his way to the BCHL to play with the Chilliwack Chiefs in the preseason this year. After the BCHL came into some COVID-19 issues forcing the season to halt, Martino made his way to Omaha to play with the Lancers of the USHL. That should be his final stop of the season and it’s been a good one so far. With his aggressive offense-oriented game, Martino has put up 16 points through 13 games and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The slightly undersized forward plays with pace, pushing defenses to try and get in his face to slow him down but he has the requisite skill to make things difficult and get to scoring areas. Off puck, he is a slash-and-dash player who attacks the middle of the ice over and over but rarely sits down in a spot. The game is becoming more free-flowing and dynamic and Martino is a player that exemplifies that. While there has been some talk in the prospect world of whether he can play center, his disinterest defensively doesn’t bode well for that. He has the skill to get a few takeaways in transition but isn’t a consistently committed in-zone defender, rather excelling when he is able to jump passing lanes and get into the route of the puck carrier, forcing a decision. He jumps for offense a bit at times but as a winger, he does a job of identifying when to do it. His biggest strength comes from how versatile he is in the offensive zone. Whether it be on the rush or patroling in-and-out of space in the offensive zone, Martino has no issue generating offense. The cerebral winger could be a big point-getter at the NHL level if he can get into a situation with a center who wants to push the pace and overwhelm opposing defensive units. There is a lot to like from the former OJHLer. Tony Ferrari