Matteo Stefano - Rookie Experience

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Davos, Switzerland

Matt Skills - VHL Player Insider

 

As the S95 season comes to a close, we caught up with HC Davos Dynamo forward Matteo Stefano to talk about his rookie season in the VHL. Below is an excerpt from our interview.

"Being drafted to the VHL was a dream come true, and the fact that Davos was willing to take a chance on me in the first round made it even better. [GM] Alex was extremely welcoming, making sure I had everything I needed for my time in the VHLE so I could make a seamless transition to the Dynamo when I was ready. At the end of the S94 season, when I got the call that Davos was ready to call me up, I was ecstatic. This team truly was gearing up for great things in the future, and I got to be a part of it. There is pressure, for sure, but with Alex's experience and the leadership group of Jokinen, Ironhide, and Bucatini, who was coming off the rookie of the year award, I knew I would be supported and there was a lot I was going to learn.

 

The transition didn't come without struggles though. Points-wise, I couldn't string together two good games for the first 20 games of the season. It definitely had something to do with nerves, as well as being so far from home. That being said, Alex and the team didn't give up on me. They knew there would be growing pains, so they mixed things up. The lines were shuffled, trades were made, and things just started to click. AKK (Aleksanteri Kaskiniemi-Kekkonen) was an absolute wall. That got my confidence going and I ended up almost reaching the top 10 in rookie points by the end of the season. More importantly, we were in the playoffs. We battled like we had the entire season and surprised a lot of people in the process. I don't think anyone had us going to the conference finals. The loss to the eventual Continental Cup winners was not a big blow either. We really fought and sent it to 6 games, which we were all super proud of.

 

The amount I've learned this season is more than I could ever have imagined. I am excited to be a part of the comradery in the locker room. I look forward to starting each day with a greeting (Good Morning David!) and having conversations with my amazing teammates. Our potential is limitless and I am so fortunate to be part of a team that is never willing to give up. As an individual, it would be exciting to be on top of the leaderboards, but that's not what does it for me. I want to be a part of a team that builds each other up and grows as a unit. That's what Davos is. So what's the future of Matteo Stefano? Hard work, determination, friendship, positivity, leadership, hope, grit, and if everything works out, winning.

 

Thank you for having me for this interview. I look forward to what the future holds in the VHL."