St. Martin signs entry-level contract with Panthers

By JAMES TUBB on October 26, 2024.

NEWS FILE PHOTO Medicine Hat Tigers forward Hunter St. Martin skates towards the bench after scoring one of two goals in the first period of a 6-3 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Oct. 5 at Co-op Place.

While the ink is fully dry by now, Hunter St. Martin is still trying to grasp the idea he’s signed a pro contract.

The Medicine Hat Tigers forward put pen to paper with the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, signing a threeyear entry-level contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions.

The signing comes after the club selected him in the sixth round, 193rd overall in the 2024 NHL entry draft and he had an extended stay at training camp this fall. He also appeared in a pair of preseason games, scoring a goal and notching an assist on a game-winning goal in overtime.

“It’s something you’ve worked your whole career for. It’s a dream,” St. Martin said. “All the work that has been done and now you sign that contract, you get a little money, a little bit of stability.

“But you still have to work your way up to make pro and play. But it’s a dream come true, and you’ve worked your whole life for it. So it definitely feels really good to be rewarded a little bit. But now it’s just back to work.”

St. Martin has put in the work at the WHL level, suiting up in 152 games in the orange and black, scoring 39 goals with 82 points. So far this season, entering play Friday at

Red Deer against the Rebels, he sits fifth in team scoring with seven goals and eight points in eight games.

“Hunter is a skilled skater who has shown a tremendous amount of maturity and adaptability at a young age,” Panthers’ general manager Bill Zito said in a release. “We are excited for him to take the next step in his career with our organization.”

St. Martin says receiving interest from the NHL club is a confidence boost to keep doing what he has been. That added confidence stems back to his time at training camp when he was one of the last players returned by Florida to the junior ranks. He left camp and the signing process with a message from the club — keep being the player they saw in the Sunshine state.

“They want me to keep building my pro habits so that I can play that hard, fast game when I get up there, the game they play,” St. Martin said. “They won the Stanley Cup because they’re one of the hardest teams to play in the league. They’re fast and they kind of saw a little bit of that in me. So I just have to keep getting better and keep building off that and playing to my identity.”

St. Martin’s identity on the ice is one he’s developed over the last two seasons. He didn’t make the Tigers full time in his age-16 season, suiting up in 15 games in 2021-22 while playing for OHA Edmonton at the CSSHL U18 level. His rookie season he put up eight goals and 22 points in 61 games before a breakout sophomore season last year, with 24 goals and 52 points while playing all 68 games.

St. Martin joins forward Andrew Basha as the second signed NHL prospect on the

Tigers. Basha signed his threeyear entry level contract with the Calgary Flames on Sept. 29.

Associate coach Joe Frazer has enjoyed seeing St. Martin put in the work to find success and sign a pro deal.

“To see how much he’s developed in the last three years from when he came in at 16,” Frazer said. “He brings so much speed and tenacity to our group. So we’re just thrilled for him and his whole family, that’s a remarkable achievement and we’re just super proud of him.”

He’s come into this year with early success, finding the back of the net at a rate that has him projected for 57 goals on the season. St. Martin says he’s playing with a free feeling on the ice, earned through another summer of work and the pro experience he’s had.

“I just want to do what’s best for the team and that’s bringing my best every night,” St. Martin said. “It’s been great getting some success putting the puck in the back in the net. But it comes down to that everyday work and playing my game, that’s just what I believe in.”

St. Martin will see his parents at the game in Red Deer to celebrate the signing. He says the phone conversation, telling them the news, was a mix of surprise and excitement for the family.

St. Martin says how his parents have lived their lives, dad Blair a longtime Tiger-turneddoctor, and mom Susan Humphreys, a national champion and Olympic figure skater, has portrayed how he should approach every day.

“This is another step and they’re really happy and supportive, but now it’s how you take that belief and you just keep going,” St. Martin said.