A poignant moment in Canton history happened when a legendary men’s ice hockey coach was honored for his contributions to college athletics.
The ice arena was officially named the Terry Martin Arena at a ceremony in November 2024 with his name being etched above the main entrance and affixed to the exterior of the ice arena portion of the Roos House Convocation, Athletic and Recreation Center.
A fundraising campaign managed by the Canton College Foundation preceded the naming. Director of Development Sara Hartman-Richards ’01 said they received generous donations from every corner of the
College community, led by Richard Layo ’76, Donald ’76 and Michele ’76 Gately, William Gillam ’82, Michael Quenneville ’87, Donna Kostuik, Susan Belch, William Coakley, and Anne Williams ’78.
The former head coach led the team to 12 National Junior College Athletic Association championships in 25 years and was beloved by his players. His career record from 1974 to 1999 was 527-211-29 and
included a 102-11-8 mark in his final four seasons.
Several speakers including his former player Don Gately ’76 talked about the life lessons they learned from Martin.
“Most important was his tireless commitment to his players, teaching the importance of sportsmanship, integrity, humility, and self-motivation that served everyone who played under him during and beyond their hockey careers,” he said.
In addition to former players, Martin’s friends and colleagues attended in support. He humbly thanked everyone he worked with during his career, including the administration, players, custodial staff, and maintenance team, who all contributed to the program’s success.
Financing a junior collegiate hockey program during his time was a massive undertaking. Martin recalled that the carpentry shop used to glue sticks together for the players to use and lauded his player’s grit and determination. “These are the type of young men that came to play, and I respected every single one of them,” he said.