Martin Jones (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Jones began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Manchester Monarchs and made his NHL debut in 2013, spending two seasons with the Kings as backup to Jonathan Quick. He won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. In 2015, Jones was traded to the San Jose Sharks, where he served as their starting goaltender for six seasons. He led the Sharks to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and was chosen to play in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game.

After his tenure with the Sharks, Jones played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He earned his 200th career NHL win on October 21, 2022, while with the Kraken, making one save in relief after an injury to Philipp Grubauer. Jones was signed by the Maple Leafs in 2023 but failed to make the team out of training camp and was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, before making his Leafs debut in relief on December 7, 2023.

Junior Dominance with the Calgary Hitmen

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 WHL bantam draft, Martin Jones spent his first two seasons in Calgary as the backup to Dan Spence. After going undrafted in the 2008 NHL entry draft, he seized the starting role in 2008–09 and immediately rewrote the Hitmen's record book. His 45 wins shattered the franchise mark of 39, he led the entire WHL in victories, shared the shutout lead with seven, and posted a 2.08 goals-against average good enough for third in the league.

In the playoffs, he anchored a streak of twelve consecutive wins that tied a WHL record before the Kelowna Rockets ended the season in six games. The following year, Jones posted a league-best 2.21 GAA, earned First Team All-Star honours in the Eastern Conference, and was awarded the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL's top goaltender. He also surpassed Spence's career wins record and set a franchise mark with 16 career shutouts, cementing his status as one of the league's elite netminders.

The Undrafted Path to NHL Stardom

Despite a stellar junior career, Jones went undrafted in 2008. A try-out with the Los Angeles Kings changed everything: strong showings at both rookie camp and main camp earned him a three-year deal, though he was sent back to Calgary to finish his junior eligibility. His professional journey began in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs, where a 16–3–0 start and a .939 save percentage in his first 22 games earned him a 2011 AHL All-Star Game berth.

He also spent time with the ECHL's Ontario Reign. In 2011, he sat on the Kings' roster as a spare during their first Stanley Cup win without taking the ice. After finishing fourth in the AHL with 27 wins in 2012–13, a Jonathan Quick injury in November 2013 triggered his recall.

His NHL debut on December 3 against Anaheim was electric: he stopped all nine shooters in a shootout to seal a 3–2 win. Four nights later he recorded a 16-save shutout against New York, then blanked Montreal, becoming the second Los Angeles rookie ever to post consecutive shutouts. With Ben Scrivens traded to Edmonton, Jones settled into the primary backup role behind Quick.

San Jose and a Historic Cup Final Run

On June 26, 2015, Jones was dealt to Boston along with Colin Miller and a first-round pick in exchange for Milan Lucic, only for the Bruins to immediately flip him to San Jose three days later for Sean Kuraly and a 2016 first-round selection. The Sharks locked him in with a three-year, $9 million contract, and Jones transformed into a full-time starter. His 2015–16 campaign was a statement: 65 games, a 2.27 GAA, a .918 save percentage, and six shutouts—second only to Corey Crawford in the league. In the playoffs, he started 24 games and recorded three blank canvases while guiding San Jose to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, a first in franchise history.

His excellence earned him a 2017 NHL All-Star Game nod, and on July 1, 2017, he signed a six-year, $34.5 million extension. Yet the 2019–20 season proved turbulent. After four straight losses and a benching in favour of Aaron Dell, a coaching change to Bob Boughner further reduced his minutes. By mid-February he had started just three games in six weeks, though he rebounded with a 2.02 GAA over his final eight starts before the pandemic halted the season.

A Hockey Family in North Vancouver

Born on January 10, 1990, in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Martin Jones grew up in a household where the rink was practically a second home. His father, Harvey, served as Vice-President of Arena Operations for the Vancouver Canucks, a role Jones acknowledged opened doors and provided experiences most young players simply never encounter. He has a brother, Jordan, and a sister, Jocelyn.

His early competitive résumé includes representing a North Vancouver minor team at the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, a prestigious event for young players. At the midget level he suited up for the Vancouver Northwest Giants in the BC Hockey Major Midget League, and he attended Handsworth Secondary School while developing his game through the North Shore Winter Club. That foundation carried him into junior hockey and, eventually, an eleven-season NHL career spanning five franchises—the Kings, Sharks, Flyers, Kraken, and Maple Leafs—making his North Vancouver roots the starting point of a long professional journey.

Reader's Guide

Martin Jones's significance lies in his role as a goaltender who contributed to two major franchise milestones: winning the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 and leading the San Jose Sharks to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016. His junior career with the Calgary Hitmen was marked by records, including 45 wins in a season and 16 career shutouts, and he was named the Western Hockey League's goaltender of the year in 2009–10.

Jones's NHL career spanned 11 seasons across five teams, and he was selected to the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. His 200th career win came in relief for the Seattle Kraken against the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. Jones's path to the NHL included going undrafted in 2008 before signing with the Kings after impressing at their rookie camp.