Matt_O

In an earlier article I wrote, I wrote about the Ottawa Lynx and their miracle playoff run. Keep in mind, this was after Game 4 of their series with the Yukon Rush. Now, they find themselves in the Finals facing Saskatoon, who came out of a 3-1 hole against the Halifax 21st. They have shocked the VHLM world with their game 7 win in Yukon and hope to continue to chug along in the playoffs, as they now face the Saskatoon Wild. Quick Recap of the Semi-Finals: Saskatoon Wild vs Halifax 21st The Wild had to settle for the second seed after they lost their last two games of the season to destroy any hopes they had of getting first place. The Halifax 21st had battled it out with Las Vegas for the 3 seed, and they finished ahead of them, securing their first round bye. The Wild had nine more wins than the 21st, and all looked well in game 1, when the Wild stormed out to a 7-1 lead. However, this wouldn't stick, and Halifax pulled off a god tier comeback, scoring seven straight goals and winning game 1 in overtime. The Wild answered back in game 2, with a statement 4-0 shutout win. But in Games 3 and 4, things were different. Halifax won both of those games and took a 3-1 series lead. In a must win game 5 for Saskatoon, they came in with a clutch 5-4 win. However, perhaps their biggest challenge was game 6, which was in Halifax. This turned out to not be an issue, as the Wild won that game 7-1. In game 7, the Wild won 5-3. But wait! Halifax's lines were never updated, and a re-sim went underway at the demands of the entire city of Halifax. It didn't matter. The Wild won 6-1 instead of 5-3, and still moved onto the finals. Ottawa Lynx vs Yukon Rush The Lynx were that team that is only in the playoffs because someone has to be. They were very bad this year, with their only bright spots being Elias Dahlberg and Finn Davidson. Meanwhile in Yukon, the Rush had the talents of Ryan Zabby, Ryan Sullivan Jr., and Kisshan Shan, as well as Rhett Stoffiday in net. Their talent outmatched Ottawa for two games, as they convincing took a 2-0 series lead. The balance in the realm seemed to be doing well. That was until the Lynx stormed back with two clutch wins in game 3 and 4, as they headed back to Yukon for game 5, with the series tied 2-2. Yukon needed to bounceback, as this was not the time to play down to your competition. They ended up winning game five 2-0, and gave themselves a chance to finish off the series in game 6. They couldn't though, as Ottawa won it in overtime, with Gritty and Gregor Rasputinov both having multi point nights, and Dahlberg was held pointless. Now, we entered game 7. The Yukon Rush, who literally had an article written about them called "Can anybody stop the Yukon Rush?" were now on the brink of elimination facing a weak Ottawa team, who had a whole 22 less wins than Yukon did that season. And in incredible fashion, the Lynx pulled off an insane upset and topped Yukon 2-1 in game 7. What a day to be an Ottawa Lynx fan. Now, we reach the finals. A surprising matchup, but surely we look forward to game 1, which is tomorrow. Good luck to both teams!

The Ottawa Lynx have shocked the VHLM world. While their work is still far from over, their playoff run has still been that of a cinderella story. Almost no one gave them a shot in the wild card round vs Las Vegas, and they swept them 2-0. That was surprising in itself, but now they play Yukon. "It's OK, Yukon is going to slaughter them" said many, including myself. Let me tell you, it looked that way after games 1 and 2. Yukon won both those and stormed out to a commanding 2-0 series lead over the weaker Ottawa team. But the balance in the VHLM would only be restored temporarily, as the Lynx won games 3 and 4 to tie the series. Hell, I even thought they would lose in the wildcard round, maybe take one game at best on the Aces. Now they find themselves with a 2-2 series tie going into game five against Yukon. One notable performance was their recent Game 4 against the Rush. Finn Davidson saved the day with a great performance, stopping all 19 shots he had to face as the Lynx tied the series at two games a piece. However, what that doesn't tell you is that the Lynx had a mere six shots on net. How in the world do the Ottawa Lynx beat the first place team with only six shots on net? It just shouldn't happen. Not only this, but the difference in skill is just so big, it is a miracle that this wasn't a sweep. Ottawa had 26 wins this year going into the playoffs, while Yukon had 48. This is very baffling to me. While the series is far from over, Ottawa should be grateful that they have made it to this point.

1. I used Goals and plus minus since those were my two highest stats. I only played in seven games this year, so my stats were fairly low. I still got my 10 TPE though. 2. Ottawa has absolutely no chance against Yukon. Frankly, I'm shocked they even beat Vegas. It would be surprising if they took one game off of Yukon. 3. Saskatoon will take it. The top line of Peace-Dabarano-Trepanier is too good, and Brick Wahl is, as his name suggests, a brick wall. 4. I would have taken Ryan Zabby with the seventh pick rather than the ninth pick, but overall it was well put together. 5. I didn't check it out, although I heard it was difficult to watch. No specifics about that, but that's what the rumors are. 6. I could realistically hit 80-85 TPE before the draft, maybe 90, if I stay active and fill out some media spots.

Matthew Materazo Left Wing Goals/10 (2/10) = 0.2 +/- /6 (2/6) = 0.333 I only played seven games so that is why the stats are so low lol

The Saskatoon wild and the Yukon Rush are the two best teams in the VHLM. They are the two favorites to meet in the finals, and there is good reason for that. The Halifax 21st, the third place team, finished with 40 wins, which is nine less than the Wild and eight less than the rush. 60 words. In terms of forwards, the Wild have the best offense in the VHLM, scoring the most goals in the league at 244. Meanwhile, the Wild also have a solid group of forwards, even though they only scored 214 goals, which is second to last, tied with the Ottawa Lynx. A major factor in Saskatoons success in the offensive end can be credited to their first line, which has Chance Trepanier, Rylan Peace, and Anthony Dabarno. Each of those three have 200 TPE. On the other side of things, the Rush have an elite first line of there own. They have Kisshan Shan, Kronos Bailey and Ryan Zabby, and they combine for 582 TPE, 18 less than the Wilds first line. Shan and Bailey both are at 200 TPE, while Zabby is at 182. Their first line is also very good, but I believe the Wilds first line is better. The Rush play a very top heavy game, while the Wilds lineup is more balanced. Now let’s look at the depth forwards. The Wild acquired Mark Gebauer via trade to solidify their second line, and that trade has worked in all aspects for them. He provides Gucci Garrop, the Rushes second line center, with some stiff competition, as Garrop has one more TPE than Gebauer. The rest of the Wilds second line is filled with Curtis Gary and Alyson Blake on the wings, which help compliment Gebauer. They combine for a solid 412 TPE as a line. For the Rush, the players around Garrop are similar in skill level to those around Gebauer, with Dan Ballie and Nathan N having 123 and 134 TPE totals respectively. Now we can look at defense and goaltending. The Wild have the likes of Toby Fitzgerald and Piotr Jerwa as their top two defenders, and that creates a solid one-two punch on the first line. The Rush have Ryan Sullivan Jr. and Jagger Philliefan on their lineup, which is very good, but not quite as good as the wilds lineup. However, things change in favor of the Rush when you look at the second pairing. Burnt Toast and Dallas Jones are a fairly weak second line. Luckily for them, the Rushes second line isn’t so hot either, with B.B. Nat and Robert Renner filling that out. In net, we have arguably the two top goalies in this league: Rhett Stoffiday and Brick Wahl. Stoffiday has 200 TPE, and so does Wahl. They had 5 and 4 shutouts respectively, and they were both top five in all three goaltending stats. This should be quite a battle. The two goalies practically draw a stalemate. With that review of these two teams, I would have to give the edge to the Wild. They have the slight edge in most of the positions with exception to the second pair of defenseman. In a seven game series it could realistically go either way, but I would give it to the Wild in a hard fought seven games.

3. Nathan MacKinnon would have to take it over Dahlberg. MacKinnon's squad is currently in third place right now, compared to Dahlberg's team being fifth. Even though Dahlberg has more points, I would give it to MacKinnon. 4. I would love to be a GM, that would be really cool. I'm still very happy with being a player right now, trying to work my way into the VHL. 6. I do read the weekly news. I don't think it is super interesting, although it is very helpful for weekly point tasks to be aware of.

Proud to be on the VHL rankings baby ?

189 Yukon Rush 190 Halifax 21st 191 Yukon Rush 192 Saskatoon Wild

Matthew Materazo was born September 12th, 2001, just a day after 9/11. He was born on Long Island to Denise and Alan Materazo, who are his parents. One thing they always said was that they could not figure out where his athletic gene came from. Denise Materazo played field hockey in middle school and then in ninth grade, but she played for the middle school team in ninth grade, which isn't allowed anymore. Al Materazo's best sport was baseball, which he played from age 7 to 15, before he took a ball to the eye and was injured and basically blind in one eye for two months, and then quit baseball after that. He also played golf and was very good at it, but only for fun or with business clients. Both Al and Denise were accountants, and they both managed to raise Matthew despite the stress of their job, as well as the unforgiving workload in tax season. Most of the time, Matthews grandmother, or Denise's mother, would watch Matt at home when he was little. Matthew Materazo was five years old when he first started to watch and enjoy hockey. He was a huge Islanders fan, and him and his dad had season tickets at the Nassau Coliseum every year until they moved to Barclays, in Brooklyn. When he was about 12 or so, the VHL and VHLM caught his eye, and slowly pulled him in. Resigned to the fate that he probably wouldn't make the NHL, he began to look into other leagues, such as the OHL and WHL. However, he put aside those plans to try to get into the VHL. He was a fan of the Las Vegas Aces, and had a deep hatred to the Saskatoon Wild. He decided to enter free agency at 17, and signed with the team he hated so much as a child, the Saskatoon Wild, for one year and 1.5 million dollars When he was seven years old, he started playing deck hockey at the Sports Arena in St. James, on Long Island. He was no good at first, not going to lie, but after a few seasons, he became phenominal, and is top 5 in points all time for the penguin, beaver, CDET and freshman divisions. He played for one or two deck teams at a time, and routinely was the best player on his team, and came in at clutch moments, including scoring four goals in a single elimination stanley cup game. He also started playing roller hockey when he was 9. This time, he was pretty good to start, but in his third season of playing, he took the leap from good to elite. After that season, he was forced to move up an age group or play goalie, and he did play goalie. He carried the team to a 5-5 record, and considering the best player on that team had 7 points in 10 games, that is really good. Materazo transitioned his talents to Skatesafe in Bethpage, where he played for the Commack JV roller hockey team at 12 and 13 years old, and then played varsity from 14 to 17. He won the MVP for varisty at 17 years old, when through 25 games, he scored 53 points and led his team to first place, and eventually the championship. At 9 years old, he also started playing ice hockey. He played at Superior Ice Rink in Kings Park, and the rinx in Happuage. He played for the Middle Country Ice Hockey team for five years, and scored at a point per game rate in each of those years, including a personal best 37 points in 20 games in his 10th grade season. He was the assistant captain for the freshman team in 7th grade, and the captain in 8th grade. He was also the captain of the JV team in 10th grade. He would have been named captain for his senior year at Middle Country if he wasn't playing for the Saskatoon Wild right now. In 2016, he got a call from the Barrie Colts, an OHL squad. He was being offered a PTO, or a professional try out. He traveled up to the city and impressed the coaches, and was offered a roster spot. He took them up on the offer, but was eligible for next season, and had to wait another four months before he could officially play in the OHL. He came home and packed away his things, took out a hotel in Barrie, and bid his parents farewell before starting the summer offseason training program with the team. In the 2017-18 season, he scored 41 points in 63 games for the team. The Colts made it to the second round that year, but were bounced in seven by the eventual champions Hamilton Bulldogs. In the 13 playoff games they played, Materazo had 11 points. After that season, he became a free agent, and was heavily pursuited by the Colts to try to get him to re-sign. He also was offered scholarships by colleges such as North Dakota and Minnesota to play ice hockey for them, but he decided to take his talents to the VHL and enter as a free agent. Things were looking great. He would get a chance to play in the VHL, when suddenly, he got a call. It was his dad. He had lung cancer. This was... weird. He never smoked, and they weren't entirely sure how it happened, but it did. With the tragic news, Materazo was motivated to work even harder. A few days later, he signed with the Saskatoon Wild. He changed his number from 17 to 22, in honor of his dad. His dad passed away August 23rd. Where to now? As an official member of the Saskatoon Wild, what else is there to do? He is currently on their third line, with a shot to move up through the ranks. He was praised by previous coaches for his intense work ethic and he works hard to get better at all times. The ultimate goal is to make the VHL, where he can represent his home of New York if he can get picked up by them. He has dreams of not only becoming good, but a legend in the VHL. He hopes that the Wild can help him break through and became an elite talent in this league for years to come. However, he has to give credit to his dad, who was the biggest piece to helping him to get to this position.

Age: 17 years old Birthplace: New York, USA Position: LW Height: 5'11 Weight: 170 lbs Signed with the Saskatoon Wild (one year, 1.5 million) Strengths: Speed: While he may be no Connor McDavid now, you can count on it soon. Materazo is a fast skater, and due to his smaller frame, often has to skate around his opponents and has to get to the outside rather than just bust through the middle. He has strong breakaway speed and can hit top speed very quickly through his extreme acceleration. He also uses his quick feet to get away from defenders along the boards, and also can spin away from a man that is coming at him. Puck Handling: Also as a result of his smaller frame, Materazo relies on finesse moves and speed to get around defenders. He is a strong stick handler and is great at keeping the puck away from defenders when they are in the corners, around the boards. On the powerplay, Materazo can use his moves to get through defenders if nothing presents itself as a passing target. Work Ethic: He may not be amazing now, but he will certainly be working towards it. You may look at his stats now and think nothing is really impressive, but come back in a month and things will undoubtedly change. Materazo tries to hit the max of 12 capped TPE every week, as well as some uncapped TPE with that as well. Not only that, but during practice he always give his best, as well as in games. He always backchecks and is known as a player that always works his hardest. Weaknesses: Strength: Materazo isn't a very strong dude. He isn't a big hitter, and is more strictly a skill forward, and about as far away from an enforcer as you can get. He does plan on hitting up the gym after he perfects his stick handling, shooting and skating, but as we are standing here right now, he certainly is no body builder. Leading: He is definitely more on the quiet side, although he isn't a complete mute. He isn't afraid to talk to people in no sense of the word, but he isn't about to stand up in front of the locker room and give a pre-game motivational speech. He will show leadership if he is put into a position where leadership is needed to be shown, but won't insert himself into places where he doesn't think he is needed. While he may be close to a few players, he may also be barely acquaintances with others. As a new player to the VHLM, I find this whole thing very interesting. Considering I am a very raw prospect, I am very active and will consistently try to gain TPE every week to get better. I grind very hard, and will stop at nothing to try to get more TPE. I signed a one year contract with Saskatoon just today, but I am open to moving teams in free agency, although I am loyal, so I probably won't. But who knows. I appreciate your interest in me, and I hope to become a VHLM legend baby.

1. The World Junior Championship medal round just started, what do you believe the top 3 will look like at the end of it? 1) Canada 2)Asia 3)Europe 2. There are still important games to be played, but who should be named the World Junior Championship Most Valuable Player, in your opinion? Brick Wahl has been a beast for Canada. Enough said. 3. The Yukon Rush were the first team to clinch a VHLM playoff spot, with their 76 points in 52 games. Do you believe any team can compete with them come playoffs time? Saskatoon can definitely take some games off of them. I could see Saskatoon beating them in a series, although I would still peg Yukon as the favorite. 4. The S64 VHLM Draft Rankings were just released: (if you are eligible for this draft) In what round do you believe you will be selected? (if you are not eligible for this draft) Taking into consideration the fact that players that pass 200 TPE before the draft won't be eligible in the draft, who do you think will be selected with the first overall pick? Mark Gebauer. He is a beast out there, and I think Brick Wahl may end up passing 200 TPE. 5. What aspect of your game have you been training the most, recently? Especially since I am a very raw talent, I mainly try to focus on scoring, puck handling and skating, as well as a touch of passing. 6. Were you surprised by the announcement that Tagger was stepping down from the Recruitment Crew? Give a grade from 1 to 10 to McWolf, his replacement (wrong answers only). McWolf is the straight up GOAT. Tagger was good, but I actually like McWolf better. Solid 11 out of 10 for McWolf.

I appreciate the interest, and I have decided to sign with the Saskatoon Wild for one year.

Player Information Username: Matt_O Player Name: Matthew Materazo Recruited By: Age: 17 Position: RW Height: 71 in. Weight: 170 lbs. Birthplace: United States of America Player Page @VHLM GM