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NHL Coach Jacques Martin Addresses

SUNY Canton Hockey Alumni

Florida Panthers Head Coach Jacques Martin delivered a message emphasizing the importance of teamwork and giving back to the community during the SUNY Canton Hockey Reunion weekend.

"When you lead any team, in business or in sports, you need to have stability, vision, and a plan in order to succeed," Martin said to more than 200 collected Hockey Alumni. "You also need self-motivated people who understand your vision of success."

According to Martin, the keys to success with the NHL's Ottawa Senators and now the Florida Panthers have revolved around working with team leaders on and off of the ice who share his motivation for success.

Martin grew up outside of Ottawa and played college hockey at St. Lawrence University. He, like many of the SUNY Canton hockey alumni listening, recalled his college years in Canton as the greatest of times. "I am amazed to see so many of you here," Martin said. "SUNY Canton must mean a lot to you. This is a very special place and a very special college."

During his address he encouraged alumni to continue to support SUNY Canton in any way they could during the college's continuing growth.

In his NHL career, Martin helped turn the Ottawa Senators franchise around, leading them to eight consecutive NHL playoff appearances. He has recorded the most coaching victories in Senators history. He was an associate coach for Team Canada when the Canadians captured the Gold medal in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He was also a member of the coaching staff for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. In his first year with Florida, Martin led the Panthers to their best, and first winning, record in six years.

He believes in giving back to the community and back to his roots. He continues to host the Jacques Martin Omnium Golf Tournament sponsored by Sun Systems. That tournament has raised almost $500,000 to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ottawa. He still returns to Ottawa each summer to conduct the Jacques Martin Hockey School, which is one of the finest bi-lingual hockey schools in Canada.

SUNY Canton is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year and is in the midst of its highly successful SUNY Canton Centennial Campaign: Cultivating the Minds of Tomorrow. In addition to 23 associate degree programs, SUNY Canton currently offers 10 four-year degrees with plans to announce several other new programs during the next academic year. SUNY Canton also offers three unique master's degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. The College has recently embarked upon articulation agreements with Lomonosov Moscow State University and Osaka College of Foreign Languages and International Business in Japan, allowing international scholars the ability to obtain a SUNY Canton degree locally or abroad.

July 19, 2006

Media inquiries should be directed to Greg Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7527.

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