Matt Thomas was playing with the Kemptville 73’s of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) last season and while he loved his teammates and coaches, things weren’t going as planned.
While the 73’s finished just a single point back of a playoff spot, they weren’t expected to make any noise in the playoffs even if they would have qualified so well before the season had ended for the team, Thomas decided he wanted a change.
So, he packed his bags and made the seven-hour trip down the 401 and switched leagues to join the Leamington Flyers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). Thomas produced nearly a point per game with the Flyers in 20 regular season games finishing with six goals and 13 assists.
Leamington cruised into the playoffs with 34 wins and finished third in the West Conference and Thomas was right where he wanted to be, playing playoff hockey. Thomas then helped the Flyers dispatch the Georgetown Raiders in four games and the Milton Menace in five games.
Thomas ended up posting a goal and six assists in 13 playoff games as the team’s playoff run came to an end in the Western Conference Final as they lost to Collingwood, who ultimately beat Trenton to win the title.
“We went on quite a run, it was great to be a part of,” said Thomas. “Even though we came up short, I was glad to be a part of a great team.”
Following that defeat, the now 20-year-old turned his focus to off-season training which included many hours in the weight room and on the ice as often as possible. He went to the BCHL during training camp this year but that didn’t work out.
Now, he’s wearing the Blue & White as the newest member of the Dauphin Kings. Thomas, who joined the team last week, debuted on Saturday when the team welcomed the Winnipeg Freeze to town. Now you may be wondering how Matt ended up in Dauphin after growing up in Ontario and playing all his minor and junior hockey in his home province.
Two of the main reasons were Cole Sheffield and Naaman Hofer. Sheffield is from London, Ontario and grew up just an hour away from Matt. Hofer was playing in a tournament in Toronto this summer and they played on a defensive pairing together. Cole and Naaman knew Matt would be a tremendous addition to the club and the rest is history.
“Hofer and I meshed very well together in Toronto and now we’re partners on the back end in Dauphin, it’s pretty cool,” said Thomas. “They both mentioned that Dauphin was going for a run this year and that’s big to me.”
Being a 18-year-old with a goal of playing at the next level, Thomas knows making a run will provide him with great exposure. While he isn’t worried about what will happen after this year at this point, Thomas knows playing on a great team is a bonus.
“That’s very important to me. I feel like the grind of the playoffs is very fun,” offered Thomas. “Dauphin is a great club and I’m happy to be here.”
Matt was inserted into the lineup after Dauphin dropped its first two games of the month and hasn’t lost since as Thomas is 3-0 with his new team. The team’s most recent game was a thriller as Nathan Lenoski scored the game-winner on Tuesday as Dauphin downed Waywayseecappo, 5-4. Dauphin has 22 goals in their last three games.
“That was an exciting game to be a part of. We were down 4-2 which is never ideal but I was never worried, we know how to score and battle back,” offered Thomas. “Lenoski had a great snipe and Sheffield made some big saves for us, it was a great win for the boys.”
Matt certainly brought his A-game to the City of Sunshine. Across three games, Thomas has two goals and four assists for six points. He was named an MJHL Star of the Week after posting five points in two games over the weekend. He’s only played three games but is already tied for 12th in scoring among defencemen.
“I worked hard this summer, I knew how big of a season this was for me,” said Thomas. “I don’t focus on my points personally; it’s all about helping the team win. Two points for the team is what matters at the end of the day and with that said, I know points will come with us having success.”
A big fisher, Matt caught a 45-inch Muskie when he was younger and the catch might be big enough to take home the golden prize among his teammates. Previously, Ethan Williment mentioned he caught a 27-inch walleye and Ethan Stewart caught a 20-inch walleye.
Back on the ice, Thomas and the crew are off to Selkirk to begin a three-game three-night trip on Friday night. That trip will see them head to Manitoba’s capital on Saturday to play the Freeze before wrapping up the trip on Sunday night in Winkler.
Get To Know Thomas:
What’s another one of your hobbies? I enjoy golf; I used to play on a Tour when I was younger and play quite a bit.
Do you like to travel? Yeah, I would love to go to Hawaii. Our family likes to go to tropical places every few years and we camp a lot, so we stay busy.
What is your favourite childhood memory? Winning a championship when I was with the Sun Country Panthers AAA team and mini sticks.
What’s your go-to music genre and artist? Country and Morgan Wallen
What is your favourite rink that you’ve ever played in? Joe Louis Arena when I was younger, that was so fun.
He’s made his presence felt in a big way already and Matt will look to keep it going this weekend when Dauphin heads south for three games.
You can hear Matt’s full chat with Darnell Duff during the Dauphin Kings Power Play Show after the 4:00 p.m. news, weather, business, and sports on Friday.