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May 8 Hockey Birthdays: Whitney, Martin, Markkanen

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Gagne | Last updated 5/8/24

On May 8, we celebrate the birthdays of 22 past and present NHL players. Today’s list includes several Stanley Cup winners, a netminder who saved the 2006 Stanley Cup Final for the Edmonton Oilers, and a veteran skater with the New York Islanders who is set to be a free agent in 2024. Let’s look at some names blowing out candles today.

Ray Whitney (1972)

Ray Whitney was the second draft pick in San Jose Sharks history, selected in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1991 Entry Draft after Pat Falloon, the team’s first-round pick. He skated 200 games in the Bay Area, scoring 48 goals and 121 points before signing as a free agent with the Oilers. His stint in Alberta was brief, nine games, before moving to the Florida Panthers.

During the 1997-98 campaign, he reached 30 goals for the first time, duplicating the feat in the following season. After four years, Whitney would leave to skate with the Columbus Blue Jackets before a single season on the Detroit Red Wings. Once the NHL came out of the 2005 Lockout, he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. He finished his 22-year career with the Arizona Coyotes (2010-2012) and Dallas Stars (2012-2014), retiring with 1,064 points in 1,330 games.

Jussi Markkanen (1986)

Jussi Markkanen was born in Imatra, Finland, and was the Oilers’ fifth-round pick (133rd overall) in the 2001 Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut at 26 in 2001-02, playing 14 games and earning a 6-4-2 record. He stayed with the Oilers for another season before splitting the 2003-04 season with Edmonton and the New York Rangers.

Despite a brief career in North America, which included just 128 games, Markkanen left his mark in the hearts of Oilers fans by guiding the team to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final , replacing an injured Dwayne Roloson. After falling behind the series 2-0 and 3-1, he pitched a shutout in Game 6 to ensure a winner-take-all showdown, which Edmonton lost 3-1. Markkanen played 22 games after that playoff run, finishing his career with a 43-47-15 record and seven shutouts.

Matt Martin (1998)

Matt Martin turns 35 today and is on the verge of 1,000 NHL games, sitting at 955 after the 2023-24 season. Initially a fifth-round draft pick (148th overall) of the Islanders, he’s in his second tour of duty with the club, having skated two seasons (132 games) with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2016 to 2018.

After 15 seasons, Martin has racked up 1,158 penalty minutes and scored 81 goals with 176 points. His best statistical campaigns came in 2015-16 when he scored 19 points, tying the mark again in 2022-23. Although Martin never had a shot at winning the Stanley Cup, he’s skated in 88 career playoff games, including appearing in the Eastern Conference Final in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021.