For Jesse Martin, playing hockey on a bad hip last season was like playing football with a migraine. Focusing on the task at hand was a painful chore.
The University of Denver forward, however, never mentioned his problem to anyone outside the program or his parents. Some teammates weren’t even aware that he played the entire season with a torn labrum, diagnosed just before his sophomore season began.
Martin faced major surgery and four months of rehabilitation, but that would have ended his season. He decided to wait until the offseason. Two weeks after DU was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by eventual national runner-up Miami (Ohio), Martin had surgery.
Four months later, Martin was back skating in time for DU’s preseason conditioning. Currently, Martin is virtually pain-free and considered one of DU’s top two-way forwards.
“I’m playing with a clear mind, a clear head,” Martin said, “and for the first time, I’m able to go out there and just play and not worry about pain and how bad it’s going to be in the morning.”
Entering this weekend’s two-game series against visiting Alaska-Anchorage, Martin is tied for second on the team with nine goals — just one shy of his career high — and his plus-9 is second on the team. He leads DU with two short-handed goals.
“His surgery and his positive recovery have certainly had a very positive impact on his outlook and production,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said of Martin, a 2006 draft choice of the Atlanta Thrashers. “There has been far less pain, and as a result he can focus on what he can do and not worry about protecting it.”
Said Martin: “It’s not perfect — I’ve tweaked it when it’s been tight — but the pain goes away. It gets better. Last year, the whole time, it was sore, and I was thinking about it constantly. It would never get better, only worse.”
Martin, 21, was switched from center to wing to begin the season. But he’s back at center and playing on the all-junior line with Kyle Ostrow and Anthony Maiani.
DU team captain Rhett Rakhshani said Martin has improved in a number of ways.
“He’s definitely grown this year, but I don’t know if it’s mostly because of the hip surgery or just his maturity and growth as a player,” Rakhshani said. “His consistency is better — he’s trying to make things happen every single shift — and his confidence is better.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
