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PUTTING OUT HIS OWN
Welcome Matte
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Written by JIM SWANSON, Citizen Sports Editor
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Wednesday, 03 September 2008 |
Forward Brian Matte skated in practice Wednesday with the Prince George Cougars, another step forward in his attempt to make the Western Hockey League team as a 20-year-old rookie. The Prince George product scored 20 goals last season for the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. (Brent Braaten photo)
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Buy tickets. Scour merchandise. Solicit donations.
To that list, add: Ask for a tryout.
That’s how local product Brian Matte, a 20-year-old forward, came to be in the camp of the Prince George Cougars this season.
Matte, a seasoned BCHL scorer, took that approach and so far, so good -- the left-shooting son of Harold and Mandy Matte, the third of their four children, is on course to play in the opening game on Sept. 19, a home date with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
“I’ve only ever seen this happen once before -- Brian approached us in the summer, knew our 20-year-old situation, and we said yes,” said Cougars head coach Drew Schoneck.
“He’s shown very well. He was very strong in the fitness testing (on Monday) and he scored 20 goals (in the BCHL last season). I’ve always believed that if you can score at one level, you can move up and score here as well. He has to find that extra gear night in and night out and I think there will be an adjustment period as far as the day-to-day grind of our league, compared to the BCHL. Expectations have to be realistic, but he’s fitting in well right now. As a 20-year-old guy, he can’t be on our third or fourth line, he has to play above that and right now he is.”
The Cougars didn’t spend so much as a Canada Post stamp to get Matte to camp. Matte showed up at the office one day, asked to see general manager Dallas Thompson, and asked if he could have a shot.
Thompson, with only goaltender Kevin Armstrong around as an overager at that point, propped the door open. Matte has skated through it.
“I just showed up and asked if I could try out,” said Matte, who saw his first WHL action on Monday in St. Albert, Alta., skating at left wing on a line with Justin Maylan and Dale Hunt in an exhibition game against the Regina Pats. The Pats won the game 4-2.
“I thought I might as well give it a shot, and I think it’s gone pretty well. Playing against Regina was my first game, and the speed was definitely a little faster than I’ve seen before. It’s something I’ll adjust to, but I think I’m fitting in pretty well so far.”
A season ago, the six-foot, 185-pounder was with Cowichan Valley, scoring 20 goals and adding 14 assists in 58 games. The former member of the Williams Lake Timberwolves found himself in the middle of a BCHL trade this summer, sent to the Quesnel Millionaires, then packaged to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
“I think I’m fast, I have decent hands, and I can score goals,” said Matte, a PGSS graduate and former major midget player with the Cariboo Canucks -- before they switched monikers to Cariboo Cougars.
“I can bury the garbage that’s in front of the net, I can be physical, and I can beat the defencemen wide whenever I get the chance. I’m just looking to make this team right now. Part of the reason was I was traded to Quesnel, and I didn’t like that too much, so I decided to try for the WHL, and while that was going on I got traded to Salmon Arm.”
Matte had to make a tough decision early in camp -- commit to his shot at closing out his junior career in the WHL, or return to the lower level and keep his NCAA options intact.
“I have to forget about (NCAA) now -- it’s over,” said Matte.
“It was a hard decision at first, yeah. There were some good possibilities that way. They’ve made me no promises (with the Cougars) so I have to prove myself the next game, the next shift.”
Schoneck shot down any suggestion Matte’s continued presence is designed to catch they eye of the dwindling local fan base -- this is not a publicity stunt.
“We’re not in the charity business of giving away icetime,” said the coach.
“We’ve had some long, long discussions about that. We want the best players possible, and he’s earned his chance to be here. Just like anyone else, he has to continue to do that -- as of now, he’s earned the right to wear a Cougars jersey.”
--- Forget the GM, coaches or scouts. At least one elder statesman was intrigued by some of the youth the Cougars had on display in exhibition games this past weekend.
“I was really excited with (defencemen) Shane Pilling and Jesse Forsberg, those two draft picks opened my eyes,” said 19-year-old forward Dana Tyrell, the only drafted player on the current Cougars roster.
“They are young but I’m excited to see what happens with them in the future.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 September 2008 )
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