EAST MEADOW, NY — This week, the Matt Martin Foundation hosted its annual Matt Martin Hockey Academy at Northwell Ice Center, the New York Islanders’ practice facility in East Meadow.
The camp, now in its 11th year, required more counselors than ever before as it welcomed a record 360 participants, ranging from 6 to 15 years old.
Each rink — across six separate ice sessions — had two head coaches, with the goalies getting specialized instruction of their own to start their day before joining their respective groups.
The coaching staff included Massapequa High School varsity coach Matt Bobko, NHL personality and former Division I player Jonny Lazarus, 2025 Federal Hockey League champion Christopher Mott, goalie coaches Mike Orth and Greg Skillman and yours truly.
“Every year is kind of special in its own way,” Martin told The Elmonters. “The camp continues to grow, which is a good thing, especially since I’m retired now. My former teammates and Schaef and the guys that are willing to come out and donate their time play a big part in that. But I think, in general, just hockey on Long Island continues to grow. It gets bigger and bigger since when I first came here to now. It seems like it’s really taking off and just a fun, fun week for everyone to be a part of.”
The record turnout certainly backed up Martin’s point about just how much the game has grown on Long Island.
After four days filled with current and former Islanders stopping by, the campers had one more surprise waiting for them.
Matthew Schaefer showed up Friday morning and spent the entire day with the campers, getting on the ice, signing autographs and having just as much fun as the kids around him.
“Yeah, it’s the best. I mean, doing this for Marty is awesome, but doing this for Long Island is the best, too,” Schaefer told The Elmonters. “And it’s just so fun when you can come out and have fun with kids, and I can be a kid. This is right down my alley when I get to do things like this and do it for a foundation, and especially Marty, but for the kids.
“It’s something I will always love doing no matter what in life because, at the end of the day, I was in these kids’ footsteps once. When we’re having fun out there — we’re laughing, we’re smiling and we’re playing the game of hockey, which we love — it brings a lot of smiles and creates a lot of friendships, and you can learn a lot.”
“The Matt Martin Hockey Academy is about so much more than hockey. It’s about creating an experience that campers will remember for the rest of their lives,” Geoff Noss told The Elmonters. “The fact that we welcomed a record number of campers this year is a testament to how much families believe in and enjoy the experience we’ve built. Having Matt Martin, Matt Schaefer and other Islanders on the ice with our campers, giving every single camper the opportunity to play with them and receive an autograph, was a truly special moment that captured what makes this camp so unique.
“Our goal is for every camper to leave with improved skills, new friendships, incredible memories, and an even greater love for the game of hockey.”
The Matt Martin Foundation supports a number of charitable organizations, including the NYPD Widow and Children’s Fund, which helps families of fallen police officers; the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which funds cystic fibrosis research and support; ACDS, which assists individuals with Down syndrome and developmental disabilities and their families; the Islanders Children’s Foundation, which helps children in need across Long Island; and programs that fund the training and gifting of service animals to veterans, children with medical challenges and others in need.
To learn more about the Matt Martin Foundation and make a donation, click HERE.
