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Matthieu Bourdon - A VHLS Report Name: Matthieu Bourdon Age: 21 Height: 6'3" Weight: 211 Birthplace: Montreal, Canada VHL Team: Seattle Bears It seems as though being late to the party isn't always a bad thing. For Matthieu Bourdon, the mid-ranged, prospective defender from Montreal, Canada, it seems as though they has become the case even more. A couple of weeks ago, the youngster was playing out his days - waiting for the call up to the big leagues for the Cologne Express. While on their roster, he was chugging along, trying to make it to the big leagues but not really turning any heads. While he was making consistent waves for the organizations, the waves were no bigger than your ones at the average lake on a cooler, rainy day. To the fans, he dropped off significantly since his VHL Entry Draft and progressively fell from the stardom which he once seemingly held in his title. This seemed to all change, however, when Bourdon was traded from the Cologne Express to the Seattle Bears. With a 1st heading back to the Express, it seems as though Bourdon has found a management and team system that fully believes in the player that he currently is, not the player he could potentially become. - "We feel as though he has some really strong potential. He could and likely will become a very strong piece for Seattle, but we're not looking that far ahead for him. Right now, he's exactly what this organization needs and we welcome and encourage his development at any rate as long as it is climbing.". - Bears GM, Blake Campbell For Bourdon, he has his eyes set on becoming a strong, productive defender for the Bears organization. It's every kid or man's dream in hockey to make it to the big leagues and be the best that they can be. Of course, limitations are involved. for Bourdon, there are limitations but also hidden strengths that could really help push himself forward in regards to his personal and overall development. Despite his slower maturation in the Victory Hockey League, we feel as though that's going to slightly change over the next little bit. With his big frame and Seattle's newer development system, anything can happen with the French-Canadian defender. For now, though, let's see what IS happening with him. The Good His Size - One thing you'll notice about Bourdon on or off the ice is that he's a pretty big boy. No, not "Pretty" and "Big". The guy is a tank. With a 6'3", 211 pound frame, it's safe to say that with a little more development in the strength and defence areas of his game, he'll resemble the NHL's Scott Stevens out there. He may not be an overall Scott Stevens, but he surely will skate around on the ice like he is. While his checking isn't a big factor in his game right now, expect it to have a little more importance once other areas of his game start improving more. Offensive abilities - Okay, he isn't Erik Karlsson of the NHL, or even current teammate Aleksei Federov. That shouldn't surprise you. He is, of course, Matthieu Bourdon. While his sharpness to his offensive side isn't that of a double edged sword, it isn't dull like a butter knife either. Grading him on the offensive aspects and you would see him earn about a 6.5/10. Sure, it may be high, but for where he is at right now, we feel he will progress faster in these areas. Defensive abilities - Same thing here. The more you look at his build and how he plays out on the ice, the more you see the becoming of a natural, slow building two-way defender. Sure, he's slow at his rate of progression, but all great and good things take time, right? While again, not a crazy comparison when comparing him to some of the best right now in the VHL, with a little work and having his head down - he'll be there in NO TIME. The Not so Good Work Ethic - While it hasn't been bad and has in fact been fairly regular and consistent, it doesn't resemble those who became something great in the league. While we could bash the young player on this, we feel no need to. Everyone has their rates of progression, but basing this as a scouting report, we will not put it in the "good" category. To improve as a defender and player for the Bears and the league, improving this area will help him significantly. Checking - They go hand in hand, his size and strength. Then comes along Checking. He has 2 of the 3 things, all he needs now is checking and some elbow butter to go along with it. For a player of his size, it almost amazes scouts and teams that he isn't able to land hits better - and big ones at that, however, it hasn't generally been in his nature. While Seattle does love the offensive production from d-men, they always try to mold them into two-way defenders. Lucky for them, most defenders in the league turn into one of these. Unknown - It's like a crystal ball. You're not sure what you're going to get until you actually see what it is. For him, he could become good, bad or all the above. We honestly feel like Bourdon is going to do some great things in the league and for the Bears, but the unknowing is killing us and the wait will be the only thing to prove us wrong or right. Overall Overall, Bourdon get s passing grade. While we feel he would have been good in Cologne too, we feel Seattle was meant for him and Bourdon was meant for Seattle. Time will tell, but here's rooting for the young guy to turn heads, take a few off and help Seattle chase the dream. 7.0/10

A Matthieu Bourdon Story Where does one start when it comes to the VHL's Matthieu Bourdon? I guess the first thing we can look at and tell you is that he is of French Canadian heritage and like most French Canadians, could often find him bundled up by his parents home's fireplace or out on the back rink, playing underneath the stars and taking the odd five minute break to enjoy a hot cup of his mom's famous hot chocolate. The dream of being an NHL, SHL or VHL star and to play the game of hockey for a living was any young boy's dream in Canada, but in Montreal hockey was taken to a whole new level. It was almost a drug. It's like everyone needed their fix and because there was no Victory Hockey League near Montreal (closest being Toronto), the people cheered for the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Bourdon was no different when it came to who he cheered for and how strong his passion was for the game. Every single moment of his youth somehow linked to hockey and hockey somehow linked to his life. The moment he was brought home, his parents placed him into a Canadiens crib, with Habs blankets and pillows and a mascot as his stuffed "teddy". Bourdon was born into a lifestyle which strongly had passion for the game of hockey. So it isn't too hard to see why he went where he did. But what did life look like before hockey? For Bourdon, life was not easy, nor was it hard. He wasn't the smartest kid in his class, but he was the furthest thing from dumb. He often found himself getting good grades, but they didn't come naturally. His parents always told him that if he wanted to play hockey, go to practices or games, or make it to the big leagues, you had to have good grades and a good background. They told him it was always best to have a second option, but even better to have intelligence. In his class, he was well liked and his family name was well respected by the teachers. This could be the fact that his eldest sister and brother both went through the same schooling, with the same teachers, or it could be the fact that their father and mother were respected highly in the neighbourhood. Matthieu's father, Maurice, was a police officer at one of the near by headquarters - his mother, one of the teachers at the University of Montreal who taught a registered nursing program. While both parents were highly educated and with very professional, highly looked at careers, Bourdon simply didn't want to go down that path. The moment he was able to put on skates (at the age of 7 - late bloomer, early lover), he fell in love. He already knew what he wanted to do, but it's like the thought of eating that sweet, yummy maple syrup, or actually doing it and having numerous brain orgasms as it fucks the shit out of your taste buds. Enter Canadian high school. Bourdon took all the high level classes, studied his ass off and passed each course he ever took with honors. Each year, he finished in the top 3 in overall marks for his class, all while managing to be popular. Already with towering height, Bourdon found himself standing over 6 feet tall, with a muscular build and gorgeous frenchy features. Due to these good looks, girls were never a difficult thing in his life. They would come, they would go. He slept with this one, fondled that one and had a thing going with her. Then, out of the blue, he found the one. Grade 11 party out by the old bridge - they were sitting around the fire - laughing, talks and howling at the moon (pretty common, original and romantic, hey? Watch out Nicholas Sparks). They continued all night long until Matthieu finally thought "what the hell. we seem to get along. lets do this again. What's your number?" . It was safe to say from that moment on, they were chained to one another. They moved fast - like a prairie wildfire, soaking up the sun and devouring everything in its site. They were hopelessly and inevitably, in love. He would go to her events, support her on her decisions and strive to help make her better and stronger. She would do the same! She even became one of his fans - always front row and centre for each of his games. Screaming, banging on the glass and making an absolute fools of herself. But she didn't care. Neither did he. One night driving to one of his games, the weather was "very Canadian" and the snow was coming down like crazy. While the weather was absolutely terrible, the roads resembled the very poor conditions and the visibility was almost nothing. They were driving a safe speed, with a safe distance away from any vehicle in front or behind them. That didn't stop the vehicle in the other lane, heading the other direction. Headlights grew closer and closer, swerving out of control and meeting the front end of Matthieu's truck. The world seemed to be at a stand still. He took off his seat belt and immediately asked his girlfriend if she was okay. There was no response. He knew she wasn't dead, but she wasn't okay either. He dialled 9-1-1, despite having a broken arm and fractured cheek bone from the airbag. The ambulance came. They left. He sat there all night. Texts rolled in from his friends, teammates. Family joined him in the room to visit and left. He remained. This was probably one of the first times in a long time hockey wasn't a thing for him. Not a thought, not a dream. Nothing. He turned his heart and passion to something greater. They spent the next 3 weeks in the hospital as she was taken care of and released. Days following her release, there she was. Front row and centre for Mattieu's first game back since the accident. Bourdon's life has been beautiful one and now has the opportunity to finally succeed in a life long dream. He's officially a week or so away from lacing up the skates and playing in his first ever Victory Hockey League game for the Seattle Bears. While his girlfriend has been to almost every VHLM game he's ever played at home, there's not a chance in hell she's going to be missing the first time he ever puts on the skates in his VHL career. The Seattle Bears have set out a private skybox for her, her family and his family to enjoy the game. They will each get a free drink and supper provided and of course, be front row and centre. For Bourdon, his career is only beginning, but we're thinking he's in for one hell of a ride - so buckle up.

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