Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook Finds a Way to Become Clutch at Opportune Times

If there is one player who flies under the radar until when needed most, look no further than the Carolina Hurricanes’ Jordan Martinook. After his Game 2 double overtime heroics to give the Hurricanes the 3-2 win, it added to the lore of “Marty” in Carolina. From singing Rockstar with Nickelback to being like Wayne Gretzky in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Martinook is finding ways to add to his persona by being clutch when needed most.

Martinook’s Sneaky Clutch Gene

Going back to the 2023 Playoffs, Martinook embodied Gretzky by tallying 10 points in Round 2 against the New Jersey Devils. It was single-handedly the biggest storyline to come out of Raleigh because of how dialed in he was that series. There is something about scoring the biggest goals when it’s needed most from an under-the-radar player that makes the moments more impactful. That being said, that seems to be the calling card for Martinook. After Game 2, it was evident how much “Marty” is loved in the locker room. When asked about Martinook’s game-winning goal, Jordan Staal stated, “Of course it was (Jordan Martinook). You couldn’t have written it up any better. What a shot. The place was electric. It was super fun and definitely in the memory bank.”

When asked about his game-winning goal, Martinook stated, “I’d be lying if I said I picked my head up and looked and picked the corner. At that point, you’re just trying to put as many pucks on (net) that you can. I felt like we kind of had them on the run a little bit. Fly (Nikolaj Ehlers) made a great play to the middle, and I just ripped it. Luckily, it went in.”

No matter if it’s 10 points in a single playoff round, or a double overtime winner, or even a Mom’s trip goal, it seems Martinook has a knack for scoring in big ways. In the last two Mom’s trips, he scored this past March in the Hurricanes’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning (March 14) and against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 24, 2024.

In one of the recent “Behind the Storm” episodes on the Hurricanes’ YouTube channel, it focused on Martinook, showing where he grew up and played hockey in Alberta. There were moments during the episode of him being with his older sister, and him showing how much family means to him when asked about scoring in front of them. He got emotional then, and was emotional back in 2024 when he did his TNT TV hit with his mom, Wendy, after scoring the game-winning goal.

At that time in 2024, when asked about his mom, as he grew up, he stated, “I couldn’t ask for a better support. She was… I’m going to get choked up. Honestly, this woman has done everything for me and my sister. Just can’t thank her enough. She’s been at every game, every practice, early mornings. Obviously all the moms here, they support us, but I got a special one.”

Fast forward to March 2026, he got choked up about his sister being there and how scoring for her meant to him after she took a role to help him reach his dreams of playing in the NHL. All of that to say, Martinook knows when to make moments bigger than the game. Following his Game 2 double overtime goal, he now has the Hurricanes up 2-0 in the series as they head to Ottawa for Game 3 on Thursday (April 23).

While he might not score 20-plus goals a season or tally 50-plus points, Martinook’s defensive style of play makes him an underrated shutdown forward in the league. Paired with Staal, the Jordans are a physical duo that can be tough to score against. However, when he does score in the biggest moments, he makes it mean something. While there is still a long way to go for the Hurricanes this postseason, keep an eye on Martinook to deepen his lore in Carolina with more under-the-radar heroics. It’ll come when least expected.