Fast and furious here…the Kings made a deal and acquired a fourth-round pick (95th overall) from Washington. They drafted defenseman Alec Martinez out of Miami University. Martinez is 6-foot, 188 pounds and just finished his sophomore season at Miami. He was a teammate of Kings goalie prospect Jeff Zatkoff. Hockey’s Future had him ranked as the 12th best NCAA prospect in this draft, with this bio:
Alec Martinez, D
Sophomore, Miami University
6’1 205 lbs.
DOB: 7/26/87 Shoots: Left
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: N/A
2006-07 season: When Andy Greene (NJ) graduated last spring, the RedHawks were left to fill a big hole on their blueline and one player who stepped up was Alec Martinez. The Rochester, MI native helped guide Miami to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and led the team’s defensemen in scoring with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists). Most recently, Martinez was one of eight Miami athletes (and the only hockey player) to be named a Strength and Conditioning All-American. Having completed his sophomore season already, Martinez will be 20 in July.
Talent Analysis: The growth and maturity of Martinez from his freshman to sophomore year has allowed many aspects of his game, including his ability to make his defensive partners better, to give glimpses of the tremendous potential that he has. Martinez’s increased mass and strength have added power to his skating without impeding the fluidity in his strides or his foot speed. His willingness to shoot more and patience with the puck have helped increase scoring from the blueline. Two of Martinez’s biggest improvements have been in his confidence and consistency.
Miami head coach Enrico Blasi’s comments on Martinez: “Alec was asked to help fill the void of Andy Greene and he did that very well this year. We wanted him to grow and mature in a way that was beneficial to both him and our program. He’s taken on new responsibilities and his attitude has been great. Alec is one of those kids that’s smart and listens, and I see him growing even more going into next year.”
Hockey’s Future NCAA Prospects
