Martin St. Louis -RW- Laval, QC, Canada

Part 2 of 6 in a series on the stars of Quebec, home to the world’s most humble and fan-friendly gentlemen in the game of hockey. Check back for Part 3 next week!

NOW: Given the irregular circumstances opening the 2008-09 NHL season in the Czech Republic, Laval’s speedy Martin St. Louis is off to an uncharacteristically slow start in terms of point production. The pint-sized spark plug and fellow “MVP” linemates Vincent Lecavalier and Vaclav Prospal have not yet hit their stride on the power play yet, with a combined 4 goals on the man advantage among them. But if history is any record, fans in “Hockey Bay, USA” will enjoy anoher All Star caliber campaign from the world’s hardest working winger before long. “Quit” has never been in Marty’s vocabulary. His struggles as an undrafted, undersized All-American from Vermont are well documented, and now some pundits are speculating that St. Louis’ best seasons are already behind him at age 33. Ironically, Marty may never have had an NHL career if it weren’t for those cynics. To combat his advancing age, St. Louis has adopted a regimen with noted physical fitness core training professionals in Greenwich, Connecticut over the past two summers in order to remain in peak physical condition and extend his longevity.

Click the photo above for Marty’s career stats!

THEN: Aside from his diminutive size of 5′7, Marty may have also been written off by professional scouts early in his college career for his lack of maturity. For those of you who never got the chance to watch St. Louis light up the ECAC with Vermont, his on ice goal celebrations with lifelong friend Eric Perrin were enough to make Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens blush. Stick twirls, fist pumps, jumping tackles, dances and long slides were always in order every time the linemates from Laval lit the lamp. After such flamboyant displays, Marty had to tame it down and earn every inch against bigger, stronger, and quicker opponents upon leaving the NCAA. But man, was it FUN while it lasted!

Check out St. Louis and Lecavalier playing a hilarious linemates “Newlywed Game”!!

OFF THE ICE: Despite his unabashfully arrogant displays back at UVM’s Gutterson Field House in the late 90’s, St. Louis has always been humbled by the opportunity to play professional hockey. Not one other player has earned the privilege of an NHL career quite like Marty has earned it. Grateful for all the game has given him, the Lightning All Star selflessly lends his time to Ronald McDonald House and Big Brothers & Big Sisters programs in the Tampa community. And for the common man, Marty always takes time to hop out of his sleek black Mercedes and sign autographs for all of his fans at the St. Pete Times Forum before he cruises off over the bay’s crystal clear waters.