Owen Martin from Oakbank, Man., has been drafted by the Winnipeg Jets—making his debut with the National Hockey League (NHL). The 6-foot 18-year-old was selected in the third round of the NHL entry draft as the 92nd overall pick. Martin is the third Manitoban to be selected by the Winnipeg Jets since their return to the NHL in 2011, according to Scott Brown, senior director of hockey communications with the team. “It’s just been an unbelievable experience,” said Martin during a media conference on Saturday. Growing up in Oakbank, he said he played hockey in town with his friends before progressing to the Eastman Selects and heading out to RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg. During the last two years, the right-handed centre played for the Spokane Chiefs, an American major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In his 94 WHL games, he posted 58 points with 27 goals and 31 assists. Martin said that he blocked a shot with his foot in November 2024, resulting in missed games after a slight fracture and partially torn tendons. “I was out for two months with that, so that really sucked, but yeah, it was still a great year,” he said. The head coach of the Spokane Chiefs is Brad Lauer, former assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets. “It’s just super cool to be drafted by the hometown team,” he said, adding that he grew up going to Winnipeg Jets games regularly. With the Winnipeg Jets 2025 Development Camp starting on June 30, Martin said he’s looking forward to showing his teammates parts of Manitoba. “It would be cool sometime soon if they get to see Oakbank, that would be pretty cool to me,” he said. “Just heading into next year, it’s just tuning those things in even more, you know, keep my development going. Keep improving as a player, just overall, offensively and defensively.”
