Spirit Sign Defenseman Tyler Martyniuk to Standard Player Agreement
OHL Saginaw Spirit

Spirit Sign Defenseman Tyler Martyniuk to Standard Player Agreement

Published on May 22, 2026 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Saginaw Spirit News Release


Saginaw, Mich. - The Saginaw Spirit have signed left-shot defenseman Tyler Martyniuk (MART-in-uck) to an OHL Standard Player Agreement, GM Dave Drinkill announced Friday afternoon. A late-2008 birthyear, Martyniuk stands at 6'1", 192lbs. He was originally selected by the Spirit in the sixth round, 117th overall at the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.

"Tyler is a player we really felt would be a great fit in our system going back to his days playing for Honeybaked," said Drinkill. "We believe his game will flourish here in Saginaw, and that he is not yet close to reaching his potential as a high-end two-way defenseman. He is a very skilled, smooth skater, with offensive upside and an ability to play big minutes in all situations for us. We could not be more excited as an organization to finally have him as a part of the Spirit family and look forward to seeing him with our group at training camp in August."

From Washington Township, Mich., Martyniuk spent the last two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He saw 59 games of action in 2025-2026, with 11 points (2G-9A) and 65 PIM. This spring, he joined Team USA at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Trencin and Bratislava, Slovakia, recording three assists in four games.

"I'm extremely excited and grateful to sign with the Saginaw Spirit organization," said Martyniuk. "From the first time I met with the coaches and management, it felt like the right place for me to continue developing both as a player and person. The winning culture, great fan support, and commitment to player development really stood out to me, and I can't wait to get started this fall with the team."

Martyniuk also competed at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge this year, the U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2025, and won a gold medal at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games with Team USA. He played his minor hockey with the Detroit Honeybaked program from 2021-2023.

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