Alec Martinez signs one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks wanted some more veteran leadership, and they got it.

The Blackhawks have inked Alec Martinez to a one-year contract with an AAV of $4 million. Chicago will mark the third team Martinez has played for in his career after helping Los Angeles and Vegas to Stanley Cup championships.

Martinez will be 37 when the season kicks off next year, and is coming off a 17-point run with the Golden Knights this season. Some rumors percolated that Martinez would retire after this season, but the Blackhawks have wanted to keep their young talent insulated with proven winners, and Martinez fits the mold there.

Drafted 95th overall in 2007, the defensive defender has had a long, 15-year career in the NHL. Martinez made his debut in 2009-10 before getting his first real action the following year, registering 16 points in 60 games as a rookie. He’d go on to win his first Stanley Cup in 2012 before repeating two years later, highlighted by his championship-clinching goal in 2014.

Martinez would become a staple of the Kings over the rest of the decade and represent the United States at two World Championship tournaments – winning bronze in 2018. In 2020, he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, where he got off to a roaring start with eight points in 10 games before COVID-19 shut the season down. He was a big part of their two long playoff runs in 2020 and 2021, but missed the majority of 2021-22 with an injury. Martinez bounced back the following year, helping Vegas win its first-ever Stanley Cup.

The Blackhawks have plenty of cap space, with Tyler Bertuzzi receiving a four-year, $5.5 million contract on Monday. With about 18 roster players signed, they still have around $20 million to play with, meaning they could elect to add some extra firepower and perhaps move up in the standings.