One Matt Martin Locker Room Interaction Was My Catalyst

Growing up an Islanders fan, I never imagined covering the team. But one small moment with Matt Martin changed everything — and gave me the confidence to thrive in the locker room.

Stefen Rosner

David Kolb

, and

The Elmonters

Aug 15, 2025

For me, being on the New York Islanders beat has been a very special experience because, like all of you, I grew up a passionate fan of the team.

I’m not going to lie — when I got the call that I was being credentialed midway through the 2021-22 season, I was at a loss for words. I didn’t care that all the interviews were over Zoom and there was no locker room access.

I knew that if I was going to do this job correctly, I would have to go cold turkey on the fandom — which I did immediately. Yes, I still want them to win, but that’s because I see how hard they work every day. I see the people under the helmets, and a winning locker room is certainly a more fun room to cover.

I remember the first day we had locker room access after COVID-19 rules were lifted — day one of training camp ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Shaking with imposter syndrome, I walked up to the first person I saw: Ilya Sorokin.

I asked him what he worked on that summer. He said, “Stop puck” — a quote that kicked off my in-person career.

On this Free Friday, I wanted to touch on a story that has truly meant the most to me — and it has to do with Matt Martin.

One of the coolest things about this job, especially growing up as a fan in the mid-2000s (born in 1998), is that when I stepped foot in the locker room for the first time, there were many players I had been watching for years.

Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield — the list goes on.

That’s a unique thing, and getting to talk to these guys was something I didn’t take for granted — living out a childhood dream, in a sense.

In my first full season, 2022-23, I committed to traveling extensively to establish myself. I think I went to 75 of 82 games — all out of pocket. I have to thank my family for their support, as they understood the importance.

As the season progressed, some players would make comments acknowledging my presence when it came to something they were working on — saying, “You saw us do this at practice,” or something along those lines.

Obviously, given how much I was around, the players knew who I was. I was a reporter asking them questions every day for months. They were probably sick of me. I’d be too.

I can’t remember the date, but I believe we were in Pittsburgh one day. The locker room was packed with media for some reason, and there was a line to talk to Martin.

I was at the back, waiting for my turn, but it was taking a while. Finally, the crowd cleared out, and I hesitated — should I approach Martin after he had just talked for quite a bit?

I started to walk away when I heard Martin say, “Rosner, what you got?”

I froze. Did Martin just call me Rosner?

Now, I mentioned imposter syndrome earlier. For those who don’t know, imposter syndrome is when you essentially don’t know why you’re in a certain place — whether it’s a job or an opportunity.

So, when Martin said that, it probably meant nothing to him. But to me? It meant everything.

It gave me confidence in the room at a time when I still stumbled through questions because of nerves. For the first time, I felt like more than just someone holding a recording device. For a young reporter trying to make his way, it was one of those moments I look back on fondly — because after that, I was able to be more like myself.

Confidence is a crazy thing because it can come from nothing.

From then on, anytime I needed a strong quote — whether after a big win or a brutal loss — I’d go to Matt, and he’d deliver.

I was grateful, and that connection led me to the Matt Martin Hockey Foundation. I’ve been able to take part in some incredible events, including attending the Matt Martin Charity Poker Tournament the last two years — and again this fall.

Next week will mark my second year coaching at the Matt Martin Hockey Academy camp, where I get to hit the ice daily with Matt and some of the best coaches on Long Island.

It might be my favorite week of the year.

I was thrilled to see Matt get the chance to come back for the 2024-25 season on a PTO before getting a one-year deal. And I’m delighted that Mathieu Darche has allowed him to be an assistant to the GM, a role he’ll flourish in as he gets a taste of what being in upper management is all about.

He’s going to be a GM one day — you can bookmark it.

Like Darche, Martin cares about the fans and cares about the community. It’s evident in all the charity work that he does and how accessible he’s been to the fan base for years, living in the community.

To learn more about the Matt Martin Foundation, click the link HERE.