The Last Word... with Russell Martin

Long before Russell Martin was catching the likes of Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, and J.A. Happ for the Toronto Blue Jays - who will hit the field at Olympic Stadium for two pre-season tilts against the St. Louis Cardinals on March 26 and 27 - he launched his big-league career as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. We caught up with the Montreal native back in 2008 for the January issue of CANADIENS magazine following his second campaign in the City of Angels to find out more about his love of hockey and all things Montreal.
Here's the original transcript of the four-time All-Star's interview from a decade ago.

You had a banner year in 2007, what with starting in the All-Star Game, winning a Gold Glove, and earning a Silver Slugger award. Do you feel any additional pressure heading into 2008?
Russell Martin: When you love what you do, there's never really any pressure. I still can't believe that they're paying me money to play baseball. I had a good year statistically, yes, but I take a lot more pride in what I've been able to do behind the plate, working with the pitchers and doing the little things. It's an often-overlooked aspect of the catcher's role but it's an essential part of the job.
Overall we would assume it's pretty cool playing for the Dodgers?
RM:It's a privilege to play for that team in that city. The Dodgers have the same prestige and tradition in the baseball world that the Canadiens do in hockey. Our fans are just as passionate as Habs fans, and they really want the team to win.

In a July Vanity Fair article there was an anecdote about how Shia LaBeouf, the star of Transformers and the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, receives an autographed jersey of yours from the Dodgers promotions staff and proceeds to declare you his favorite player and a superstar on the rise. What's it like having your very own Hollywood groupies?
RM: That's actually the first I heard of that. It's really funny that in a town full of stars I can have my own fans. It hasn't exactly sunk in, yet.
Are celebrities at Dodgers games all the time? Can it get distracting?
RM: It's not much of a distraction. I've seen Tom Hanks and Pamela Anderson, among others, a few times. The novelty wears off quickly and we just concentrate on what we have to do, which is win.
How many times a year do you get back to Montreal?
RM: I consider it more like I leave for close to nine months. I hope that will increase to 10 months, because that would mean we made the playoffs. It's bizarre; I get recognized on the street in L.A. where there are celebrities on every corner, but in Montreal I can stroll around completely incognito. Maybe it's because I wear a mask when I play. (laughs)
Were you a Habs fan as a kid?
RM: I liked the Canadiens when I was a kid, but I wasn't a super fan like most of my friends were. This year, though… I don't know why, but I really like the team. Maybe it's because they came up together through the system, but there seems to be good chemistry on the club.

How many NHL games do you attend a year?
RM: I haven't missed very many Habs games since I got home from Los Angeles. I was there the night they retired Larry Robinson's number. He was such a force, a real machine. He looked even bigger than the guys who were wearing skates. What's more, it was obvious how much he appreciated everything that was going on, just as he seems to appreciate his family and enjoy his former teammates.
Who is your favorite active NHLer?
RM: Alex Kovalev. That guy's hands are just sick! I don't know how he makes those plays with the puck. Anze Kopitar from the Kings isn't too bad, either. We see him a lot on the highlights on TV.
You played hockey when you were younger. Was the hardest hit you ever took on the ice or at the plate?
RM: Since the highest level hockey I played was Bantam A, it would have to be behind the plate. There wasn't any contact at that level of hockey. Not intentionally, anyway. (laughs)
Is trash talk better in hockey or in baseball?
RM: Hockey, by a mile. It lends itself more to it because it's a sport where there's more contact and aggression. In baseball there aren't a lot of players to exchange pleasantries with in the heat of the action. Sure, a hitter might say something to the pitcher, but even that is pretty tame and pointless.
To buy tickets for the March 26 or 27 games at the Big O, click here.