Bryce Martyn simply missed the game of hockey.
On Friday night, it was pretty clear the Thunder Bay North Stars had also missed the two-year veteran, who hadn’t played at the Superior International Junior Hockey League level since 2014, the victim of a concussion.
The Rosslyn, Ont. native, cut in September by the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, made his 2015-16 North Stars debut a memorable one, collecting three assists as the host squad rallied in the third to pull out a 5-4 squeaker over the visiting Minnesota Iron Rangers.
Martyn, 19, said it felt good to be back at Fort William Gardens.
“I was missing the game, I guess. It’s hard playing the game my whole life and just not having it anymore. The decision to come back was pretty easy, with open arms from the (owners) and everybody on the team. It’s a nice thing to come to,” Martyn said.
Finding success in Game 1 was just a bonus, he added.
“It felt awesome to help the guys out, get the two points, that’s just what really matters. We played good a as a team. You’re only as good as how everybody plays. It’s not just one person. My assists just contributed to other people’s hard work.”
North Stars coach Jeremy Adduono, himself back behind the bench for the first time in a couple of weeks after an already-planned Mexican vacation, said Martyn was a nice surprise on Friday night.
“The kid’s a physical specimen. He’s strong, he’s got probably one of the harder shots in junior A hockey and he’s also very poised. For a big man, he can skate. Unfortunately for him he ran into some injury problems a couple of years ago and went through some tough times. Luckily for us he expressed some interest in wanting to return.”
As Martyn said, it was a total team effort that got the North Stars the victory.
And it was fellow blue-liner Joe Newhouse who sealed the deal, floating a shot from just inside the blue-line in the final two minutes of play, a puck Iron Rangers goalie Kyle Carignan just couldn’t get a glove on.
It was the only goal of the night by either side that didn’t come on the power play.
A win’s a win, said Adduono.
“Two points is two points,” Adduono said.
That was the goal, he added.
“It didn’t matter how we got it or what we needed to do to get it, the goal was to get two points and that’s what we got.”
McKenzie Gray struck first for Minnesota, beating Eric Mann just 3:09 into the back-and-forth contest. But Brendan Gillis answered back two minutes later for the Stars, Newhouse putting the home side on top at 7:38.
But the Iron Rangers had a pair of tallies left in their tank before the opening period was out, Tyler Lindstrom knotting the score 2-2 at 10:42 and Gray putting the Iron Rangers up a goal with 3:14 to go.
Cashen Tighe, with his first of two on the night, had the lone goal of the second and the two teams hit the third tied 3-3.
Jacob Shannon restored a one-goal Iron Rangers lead early in the third, but Tighe pulled the North Stars even once again at the 10:08 mark, setting the stage for Newhouse’s winner at 18:16.
With the win, Mann first of the season, the North Stars took sole possession of third place at 10-14-2, while Minnesota slipped to 9-14-2.
The North Stars final home game before the Christmas break is Wednesday against the league-leading Fort Frances Lakers.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Minnesota, Gray (Ellingson, Cuni) 3:09 pp. 2. Thunder Bay, Gillis 6 (Martyn, Siau) 5:37 pp. 3. Thunder Bay, Newhouse (Hamlin, Martyn) 7:38 pp. 4. Minnesota, Lindstrom (Madison, Johnson) 10:42. 5. Minnesota, Gray (Cuni, Johnson) 16:46 pp. Penalties: Gillis TB (high sticking) 2:12, Honkanen MIN (interference) 3:58, Ellingson (slashing) 7:21, Bench minor TB (too many men) 9:45, Wesley-Chisel TB (cross checking) 11:32, Wesley-Chisel TB (tripping) 15:39, Nigro TB (slashing) 20:00
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Tighe 3 (Turner, Martyn 5:49 pp. Penalties: Cuni MIN (roughing, cross checking), Nigro TB (roughing) 3:42, Martyn TB (hit to head, misconduct) 16:04, Cuni MIN (slashing) 16:13, Siau TB (roughing) 19:42, Madison MIN (cross checking), Wesley-Chisel (high sticking) 20:00.
Third period
Scoring: 7. Minnesota, Shannon (Madison, Olschewske) 7:19 pp. 8. Thunder Bay, Tighe (Gillis, Wesley-Chisel) 10:08. 9. Thunder Bay, Newhouse (Gillis, Siau) 18:16. Penalties: Olschewske MIN (holding) 4:57, Hamlin TB (tripping, misconduct) 5:30, Nigro TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:19, Karkinen MIN (hooking) 8:24, Johnson MIN (tripping) 12:54
GAME DATA – SOG – Minnesota 13-12-11-36, Thunder Bay 6-14-12-32; Power plays (goals-chances) – Minnesota (4-9), Thunder Bay (4-7); Goaltenders – Minnesota: Kyle Carignan, Thunder Bay: Eric Mann; A: 175.
