For some of the Maple Leafs, their NHL-imposed bye week — a five-day break introduced this season — means getting away from the game.

But time away from the ice won’t mean time away from their teammates for veteran Matt Martin, 27, defenceman Connor Carrick, 22, and 19-year-old rookie Mitch Marner. Those three will head out together to the Grand Cayman Islands on a four-day trip.

There’s a natural friendship between the three, despite their age difference, and the trip will be as much about off-ice bonding as it is about enjoying time in the sun.

“We’ll relax, get refreshed and regroup for the second half of the season,” said Martin.

On a team with nine rookies, the divide between young and old has been a running theme for the Leafs this season. But the age gap hasn’t proven to be an obstacle for this team, who Morgan Rielly characterized as “a closer group than I’ve ever seen.”

“Quite honestly, we have a pretty good team for that,” said Carrick of the team’s off-ice chemistry. “Not a lot of cliques. Part of that has to do with a lot of the younger guys coming in and the older guys embracing the change in the group.”

Martin’s dressing room stall is right next to Marner’s, creating an instant connection. The two were were recently caught on the docu-series, EPIX Road to the NHL Outdoor Classics, in a candid, playful interaction that captured the essence of their friendship. In the scene, the elder Martin jokingly gives teenage Marner the business for watching a movie without him.

Carrick, meanwhile, sits at the opposite end of the room, but that didn’t stop him from bonding with the two forwards.

“It’s something that you can’t make happen,” he said of relationships with teammates. “The more you think about it, the more unnatural it is.”

For his part, Martin appears to be spearheading team chemistry overall. As a free agent, the perennial league-leader in hits, signed in the offseason, and was seen as protection for the team’s young core on the ice. Off the ice, he became like a father figure.

“Marty’s a real good leader in the room,” head coach Mike Babcock said back in October. “He does things right, a good pro. He’s meant a lot to us. It’s a good signing for our team with so many kids on it.”

Having Martin do his part to guide the team’s younger players is important in what Carrick calls developing a “good dynamic.”

“If you further that relationship off the ice,” he said, “happy people are more productive.”

To Carrick, that chemistry and strong on-ice performance go hand-in-hand.

“The season is long. The season is stressful,” he said. “There really is something to be said for having an off-ice relationship with your teammates.”

Carrick believes Martin’s veteran presence has improved the team’s performance. For instance, his lively scrap with the Detroit Red Wings’ Steve Ott during the Centennial Classic early in the third period during a 1-1 stalemate was followed by three Leafs goals in less than four minutes.

The correlation is debatable. But to Carrick, there’s no debate on what that fight and Martin’s role does.

“You can feel when you’re closer with your teammates: guys pull for you,” he said.

This upcoming five-day break offers the chance to recharge mentally and have a bit of fun with some teammates. Not all of the Leafs will be spending time together, however. Zach Hyman will head off in search of warmer climates with his girlfriend and Frederik Gauthier, fresh off a spirited bout Saturday night against Bobby Farnham of the Canadiens, will head to his home near Montreal. He’s looking forward to tasting some of his mother’s homemade pies.

“It will be good to get your mind off the game for a bit,” said Gauthier.

It’s a break Carrick considers vital.

“Trips like that, being fresh is an absolute weapon,” he said. “You try to take every day as if it’s opening day and you’re excited but the facts are the facts. You sleep four or five hours and there’s turnover from the night before, you’re just not as jacked up to put your gear on.”

“It’s nice to get some time off to relax,” added Martin. “We don’t get a lot of time to go during the season.”

While many players across the league will treat their bye week as a chance to separate themselves from the dressing room, the only thing these three of the Leafs want to do is stay connected to it.

For more on this story and video go to: https://theathletic.com/32894/2017/01/08/trio-of-leafs-use-bye-week-to-get-away-from-game-but-not-each-other/