Radek Martinek out for season with knee injury
Oft-injured New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season with a knee injury. The 33-year-old Martinek tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on Friday in a 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Islanders said on Saturday. Martinek was helped off the ice after he was hit hard against the boards by Zach Parise in front of the Devils bench. Martinek, in his eighth NHL season, played in only 51 games last season - missing 17 straight after hurting a shoulder. A bruised right leg forced the Czech to sit out 13 games during the 2007-08 campaign. In the season before that, Martinek broke his leg and didn't play the final 30 games. His rookie year of 2001-02 was limited to 23 games because of a season-ending knee injury. Martinek, who has played as many as 70 games in a season only once, had two goals and one assist this season. He was in the lineup for each of New York's first 16 contests.
