Martin injury ‘not serious,’ OA Cloutier to return
by Peter Ruicci (Independent Media)
Monday was certainly a day of good news for the Soo Greyhounds and their fans.
Captain Brady Martin apparently avoided serious injury at the World Junior Hockey Championships and overage winger Justin Cloutier is trending toward an imminent return to the Ontario Hockey League team.
“It doesn’t sound as bad as was originally thought,” Hounds general manager Kyle Raftis said of Martin’s right shoulder injury, during an afternoon interview with Independent Media. “It’s not season ending. But I would say it’s going to be a couple of weeks for sure.”
The 18-year-old (2007 birth year) centre underwent medical imaging testing Sunday night after being forced to leave Canada’s 6-4 semifinal loss to Czechia in St. Paul, Minn.
The Nashville Predators prospect appeared to injure the shoulder in the first period, when he delivered a hit to Czechia’s Matyas Man. The native of Elmira, Ont., left the game and didn’t return.
During a discussion with Hockey Canada officials, Raftis learned the injury is “going to take some time.”
Could Martin be sidelined for more than a couple of weeks?
“Hard to say,” Raftis offered. “We’re just going off of what we’ve learned and nobody really wanted to put a (firm) timeline on it. But it was good to hear.”
The GM said Martin could return home for a while, following the path defenceman Chase Reid took after Team USA was eliminated from the quarter-finals on Friday.
“It’s good for the guys to get recharged a little bit after not having a Christmas break,” Raftis added. “I think that would be good (for Martin), especially with him not being able to play, anyway. But then we’ll have him back here shortly afterward.”
In just 13 games for the 2025-26 Greyhounds, Martin has five goals, 11 assists and a plus-minus of plus-7.
Reid, a native of Chesterfield, Mich., is “expected back in time to play on Wednesday,” said Raftis, whose club begins a three-game homestand that night against Sudbury (7:07 p.m.).
Asked if the star defenceman, who has a 14-21-35 stat line and a plus-minus of plus-21 in 31 games for the Hounds, could return in time for Tuesday’s practice, Raftis answered: “Potentially.”
Meantime, the 20-year-old Cloutier began the season south of the border, skating for the Arizona State Sun Devils. However, the Ottawa native, who had played four seasons for the Hounds, played in just four collegiate games before apparently contracting E. coli, a bacterial infection.
Hugely popular in the Sault due to his character, intensity and work ethic, Cloutier has been recovering at home.
“We’re just waiting to get the green light from his doctors that he’s able to face contact and be ready to go,” Raftis said. “He’s had a couple of recent appointments and everything looks good at this point.”
The GM said Cloutier, third in team scoring last year with a 28-26-54 line, and a plus-3 in 68 games, could join the Greyhounds “any time after Jan. 10 (Saturday). And as long as everything continues to go the right way, you could see him in the lineup any time after the 14th.”
Because of what the OA has gone through, Raftis spoke of how it’ll surely take some time for him to get up to speed.
Asked what he’s most anxious to see from Cloutier, Raftis answered quickly.
The GM talked about the energy Cloutier provides, both on and off the ice.
“He can be a tough player to play against and now that he’s 20, he’ll really bring that leadership. He’ll add that punch to the lineup that we’ve missed.”
That was especially apparent during the club’s recent four-game losing streak.
The Hounds carry a 21-14-1-1 mark into the Sudbury clash.
The OHL trade deadline is Friday at 12 noon with the deadline for overages 24 hours earlier.
Raftis said the recent skid will have no effect on his plan going into the final hours prior to the deadline.
Neither will the fact that West Division rivals Windsor and Flint added veteran pieces on Monday.
Will he add to the Soo roster before the deadline?
“I think so,” Raftis answered. “What that’s going to look like, how many (deals), that’ll be the next question. But it’s hard to say.”
The GM acknowledged how strong the Western Conference is. However he sees no clear-cut favourite, while adding that he very much likes his club’s potential.
In recent weeks, the Soo has traded for forwards Jeremy Martin and Colin Fitzgerald and defenceman Lukas Fischer.
Asked on Monday afternoon if he presently had a trade in the works, Raftis said no.
However, he did say there are lots of conversations going on around the 20-team loop.
“If there’s a situation where we can continue to add, I think we’ll do that,” he said. “But we won’t know until we get to noon on Friday.”
Notes:
Following Wednesday’s tilt against Sudbury, the Soo is slated to entertain Ottawa on Friday (7:07 p.m.) and Niagara on Saturday (7:07 p.m.).
