One moment Matt Martin was joking about his emotions, saying his wife would be happy to hear him say he was feeling something ahead of what’s presumed to be his last home game with the Islanders.

The next, all the emotion was pouring out of him at once, a wave that’s been building all season crashing like a tsunami.

Martin took a long pause. He put his head down. His lip quivered.

“I’ve been so proud to wear this jersey and be a part of this team and community,” he said.

He buried his face in his shirt.

“Obviously don’t know what the future holds,” he said. “Through the good and the bad, the heartbreaks and all of it, it’s always been a pleasure to be a part of this team and wear this uniform.”

This was all hours before the game itself, when Martin wore an “A” — somehow the first time he’s ever done so in a regular-season game — and was in the starting lineup against the Capitals, the Islanders giving him some well-deserved flowers.

The game itself, a meaningless 3-1 loss in which Dylan Strome scored all three goals for the Capitals, belonged to Martin, too. The fans that showed up at UBS chanted his name. The loudest applause of the night came when he was announced as the team’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominee and given a 30-second tribute video — which, no, is not normal for a Clancy nominee, but felt fitting here.

The King Clancy is given to the player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.” Martin runs an annual hockey camp in the summer at the Islanders’ practice facility, and his foundation contributes to several causes including the fight against cystic fibrosis. Tuesday, he brought up Clark Gillies and Boomer Esiason, his father-in-law, as two examples he’s tried to follow in community engagement.

“I think the impact he’s made in the community, the way he’s handled himself and represented being an Islander, it doesn’t get any more true than Marty,” said Anders Lee, last year’s Clancy winner.

When the final horn sounded, the Capitals lined up to shake Martin’s hand — starting with Tom Wilson and Anthony Beauvillier, both of whom got long hugs. Standing at center ice with his teammates giving stick taps at the blue line and the fans giving him an ovation, Martin then called the rest of the Islanders over for a group hug.

“I wanted to make sure they were with me,” he said. “I was standing on the ice by myself long enough. It’s good to have my friends with me.”

Of course, there was a whole lot more subtext here than the nomination.

Outside of Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, who hold co-equal status here, no one embodied the era of Islanders hockey that’s currently coming to a close like Matt Martin. There was a reason that trio started just about every game under Barry Trotz. They set a tone, created the identity. They were hardworking, blue-collar, physical and grinding. Their persona was perfect for Long Island and perfect for the Islanders.

“I really didn’t plan on any of this,” Martin said. “Didn’t expect any of this, didn’t even know the tribute was gonna happen. Just a special moment. Obviously fans here have supported me for years.”

Martin has repeatedly declined to address his future, so it’s technically possible he tries to give it another go next season, with 14 games left to hit 1,000 for his career. But it was already shocking that he came back this year — taking a tryout contract, parlaying it into a roster spot early in the season after injuries hit and sticking around to play 30 games and give support wherever he could.

Unlike a year ago, the air of finality around Martin extends to the player and the organization.

It’s been a hard year for the Islanders, watching Brock Nelson get traded in March and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022. The core that got them two memorable conference final runs is all but officially done now, with Martin likely to join Nelson, Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey as recent departures.

“Separate times, but over the course of a year and a half, stuff like that, you feel it,” Lee said. “Each time one of those guys left, it felt like a piece of who we were was taking their next steps.”

This one was as emotional as any.