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NHLOA Alumni Referee Rob Martell

Rob Martell inducted into Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

Published: April 21, 2017
MARTELL AMONG 2017 MANITOBA HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
 
After seeing NHLOA Alumni Brad Lazarowich nominated to enter the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame this upcoming July, another NHLOA Alumni got the call this past week to become a Hall of Famer. Alumni refeere Rob Martell who retired from the NHL last season after working his 1,000th NHL Regular Season Game on Januray 2nd 2016 in Tampa Bay, will be among the 2017 Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame inductees.
 
The 2017 nominees will become official members of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame at the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame 2017 Induction Dinner to be held on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at CanadInns Polo Park. Joe Aiello will once again handle the Master of Ceremonies duties. 
 
On behalf of the entire NHLOA, our sincere congratulations Rob on this remarkable achievement in recognition of your career and involvement in officiating in the province of Manitoba.
 
 
ROB MARTEL BIO: 
 
Rob was born in Winnipeg, and had an amateur playing career in the Stonewall area, winning two provincial championships. He played one season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Selkirk Steelers and the 1982-83 season with the Stonewall Jets in the South Interlake Hockey League, winning the league and provincial titles in 1983. At this time he was becoming a minor league official under the guidance of Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame member Perry Allan, working games in Stonewall, the Interlake, and then AA and AAA games in Winnipeg. He moved up, officiating in Junior B, MMJHL, MJHL, CASH and other senior leagues. At the same time, he was a linesman for the WHL when the Winnipeg Warriors played in the city.
 
In 1984, he got a break when an NHL linesman was unable to work and called on Martell to work the game. Three years later, he was called to the NHL summer camp and hired in their trainee program officiating junior hockey across Canada and the U.S. in the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, and the CCHA Division 1. The following year he worked 50 games in the IHL and AHL.
 
In 1992 he was hired full time as a Referee in the NHL, but continued in the minor leagues. On Easter Sunday in 1996 he refereed his first NHL game, and in 2000 he had his first full season in the NHL. During his NHL career he officiated 1,000 Regular Season games, his last on January 2, 2016 in Tampa Bay.
 
Click here for an article published last year on Rob Martell’s reflecting on his NHL career written by Doug Lunney from the Winnipeg Sun:
 


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The NHLOA (National Hockey League Officials' Association), was born in 1969 out of a need to improve working conditions, salaries and other benefits for officials of the National Hockey League.
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