Joe Martin鈥檚 summer was supposed to be about chasing a dream 鈥� not running from missiles.
The 26-year-old Victoria native packed his bags at the end of May for a once-in-a-lifetime shot at playing professional hockey overseas, suiting up for the Holon Vipers in the Israel Elite Hockey League (IEHL).
A few weeks later, he was crouched four storeys underground, listening to the walls rattle as a missile dismantled the building across the street from his Tel Aviv apartment.
鈥淚f we weren鈥檛 in the shelter, we could鈥檝e died,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淚鈥檒l never forget that feeling 鈥� walking out and just seeing absolute destruction on our street.鈥�
Martin grew up playing minor hockey in Saanich before studying Sport Management at Camosun College. He interned with the Victoria Royals during his schooling and now works for the Abbotsford Canucks.
The opportunity to play overseas came through a longtime friend 鈥� another Jewish player from Victoria 鈥� who had previously skated in the IEHL.
鈥淚鈥檇 always wanted to go over there, but I knew tensions were pretty high,鈥� Martin said. 鈥淲hen my buddy brought it up, it took me a while to decide. I probably sat on it for two months. But I figured, this is a rare chance. Let鈥檚 go for it.鈥�
He arrived on May 31 and settled into life in Tel Aviv, one of Israel鈥檚 largest cities.
On the ice, the league offered a mixed bag 鈥� a handful of former professionals, some high-level prospects, and others just hoping to hang on. Martin scored three goals and added an assist in four games, with more planned through early July.
But everything changed on Friday the 13th in June.
鈥淚 got woken up at 3 a.m. by this different kind of siren 鈥� it was like an Amber Alert on my phone, not the usual air raid system,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know what was happening at first. Then word started going around that Israel had attacked Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities.鈥�
That strike triggered a series of missile attacks aimed at central Israel.
At first, Martin said, the missiles were intercepted by Israel鈥檚 air defence system. But it didn鈥檛 take long before some began slipping through.
On the third night of attacks, one struck an apartment building less than 200 feet from his.
The building directly in between absorbed much of the blast, but his own unit was destroyed 鈥� walls cracked, windows blown out, glass scattered across the floor.
鈥淵ou could feel the impact underground,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen we came up, there were emergency and military vehicles all over the street. Every window in our neighbourhood was shattered 鈥� storefronts, houses, cars. There was more glass than concrete on the ground.鈥�
With the Tel Aviv airport closed and little direction from the Canadian embassy, Martin and a fellow Canadian teammate crafted their own escape plan.
Another teammate 鈥� an ex-military Israeli player armed with an M16 rifle 鈥� offered to drive them 45 minutes through the West Bank to the Jordanian border.
The route was risky, but it seemed like the only viable option.
On the other side of the border, a friend of a friend in Jordan was ready to pick them up and drive them to the airport in Amman.
Martin and his friend were seconds from pulling out $1,500 in cash to pay for the trip when everything changed.
鈥淩ight as we were about to pay the driver, the email came in from the Canadian embassy saying they were arranging to get us out,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e scrapped the plan immediately. It was a huge relief, but up to that point, we were on our own.鈥�
Martin flew back to Canada just under two weeks earlier than expected.
While he missed out on a few more games, the decision to leave wasn鈥檛 difficult.
鈥淚 got three games in before everything happened. It鈥檚 a summer league, so I would鈥檝e stayed until around July 4,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut once our apartment was destroyed, we knew it wasn鈥檛 worth waiting around.鈥�
Now living in Vancouver and settling into his role with the Abbotsford Canucks organization, Martin is still processing the experience.
One moment, he was playing hockey in the sun. The next, he was navigating an active war zone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot to unpack,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 expect to be diving into shelters, planning escape routes through the West Bank, or seeing buildings you lived in blown apart. I just feel lucky 鈥� lucky to have made it home, and lucky for the people who helped me get here.鈥�
Martin said he doesn鈥檛 regret going, despite the danger.
鈥淚t was still a dream come true in some ways. I got to play the sport I love in a part of the world I鈥檝e always wanted to visit,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut yeah 鈥� I鈥檒l probably pick a safer spot next time.鈥�
