TEMPE, Ariz.鈥擨t鈥檚 game day in Tempe, and while the folks wearing Edmonton Oilers jerseys outnumber those sporting Arizona Coyotes sweaters around Mullett Arena, there is still a smattering of kids in blue and white.
The Maple Leafs all-star is, understandably, a big name in his home state. The NHL’s best goal scorer brings gravitas and makes everyone associated with hockey in the Valley walk a little taller.
He鈥檚 been joined this year by another Arizona presence: rookie forward Matt Knies. Two-thirds of the top line of an Original Six team, which will take on the Coyotes on Wednesday night, comes from the desert.
鈥淭hose guys are rock stars here 鈥斅爀specially Auston, for sure,鈥 said Coyotes coach Andr茅 Tourigny. 鈥淢att Knies, it’s just a matter of time, a guy from Arizona who has had a lot of success. People follow him. So, good for the Valley to see those guys being successful in the NHL 鈥 just not their next game.鈥
The 26-year-old Matthews will be playing in front of an adoring home crowd for the seventh time. He has racked up three goals (all in the old arena in Glendale) and one assist (last year in Mullett) and will have his favourite restaurant, Diego Pops, cater the team meals.
It’s old hat now for Matthews, but it鈥檒l be new for Knies. He鈥檒l be playing in his hometown as a professional for the first time.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty fired up,鈥 said the 21-year-old Knies. 鈥淕et to see my family and to be home, it’s a lot of fun. And then to get to play in that barn. I only played one college game there. It’s going to be pretty exciting to play an NHL game there.鈥
He figures 50 or 60 family members and friends will be in attendance. One will be former pro Mike DeAngelis, a minor hockey presence in the area for 20 years and a part-time scout with the Coyotes.
鈥淢atty (Knies) was super-competitive in practice, kind of a chip on his shoulder a little bit,鈥 said DeAngelis, director of hockey operations and program advancement at the Ice Den, the hub of youth hockey in Scottsdale, Ariz. 鈥淎lways wanted to be the best player, always wanted things to go his way.鈥
Another will be Boris Dorozhenko, the Ukrainian-born skating coach who has worked with both players.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud,鈥 said Dorozhenko. 鈥淚 was with Auston for 10 years, and Matthew (joined later). He was a small, tiny kid, but with huge desire and talent.鈥
Matthews is more of a prodigy: a gifted athlete born to a Mexican mother and baseball-playing father who nonetheless fell in love with hockey, after his uncle started taking him to Coyotes games as a toddler. Shane Doan, then captain of the Coyotes and now an executive with the Leafs, was his favourite player.
Knies took a somewhat more traditional route: parents Miroslav and Michaela emigrated from Slovakia, where they learned to love the game, and Matt followed around hockey-playing older brother Phillip. Doan, retired by then, was his coach and also coached son Josh Doan, now a Coyotes prospect.
鈥淚 was pretty fortunate, growing up in Arizona, to have a ton of retired NHL players stay and coach,鈥 said Knies. 鈥淚’m really proud to be from Arizona.鈥
Matthews played with Phillip in the Phoenix area, but Matt often practised with them.
鈥淚 forget I’m older than Knies,鈥 said Matthews. 鈥淚 grew up playing with his older brother, and Matthews was around a lot. It’s really cool to be on the same team, playing together and knowing what our roots are. It’s going to be really cool to go play at home.鈥
Doan, who played all of his 21 years in the NHL with the Coyotes/Jets franchise, is now an assistant to Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, who cut his teeth as an assistant GM with the Coyotes.
鈥淚’ve got good friends in 海角社区官网and I tell them, you know, Arizona is coming to help the Leafs,鈥 said DeAngelis. 鈥淵ou’ve got Matthews, you鈥檝e got Knies, you鈥檝e got Doan and Treliving. All guys who have got Arizona connections. It’s just amazing to see that they all ended up with such an iconic franchise like the Leafs. 鈥
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