In March 2019, Matthew Savoie was refused “exceptional player” status by Hockey Canada, a status that would have allowed him to play in the Western Junior League at the age of 15.
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Two and a half years later and now 17, the Canadian center of the Winnipeg Ice is at the top of the league scorers with 46 points in 29 games and is one of the best prospects. for the next National Hockey League draft.
Watch her full interview in the main video.
“I was frustrated by Hockey Canada’s decision, because I thought I deserved this status,” says Savoie, honestly, during a generous interview with TVASports.ca. But I decided to take it like a man and use my emotional overload to prove to the decision makers that they were wrong to bet against me. Yes, that’s for sure that motivates me to perform every night. ”
This situation alone is the perfect sample to describe Matthew Savoie: a constant competitor who thrives on challenges and who takes pleasure in making those who doubt him lie.
A few months before the 2022 NHL auction, it is, once again, his hobbyhorse, he who has just been ignored by Junior Team Canada for the next U20 world championship. But the more the months go by, the more a finding seems unanimous: world championship or not, he will be drafted sooner. Very early. And the team that will put the grapple on it will have in its ranks a player as special as determined.
The apple never falls far from the tree
When we take a look at the Savoie family, we understand that it would have been very surprising if Matthew had not been drawn to our national sport.
The son of a lifelong hockey enthusiast, the talented striker also has a brother two years his senior, Carter, who was drafted by Oilers in 2020. You will guess that hockey occupies a place among the Savoys. choice 12 months a year … always.
Jeff hansen
Matthew and his brother Carter have always been friends. Here is a photo from January 2017.
“My dad played hockey growing up. Obviously he wanted to introduce my brother and I as soon as we were old enough to skate. I was two years old. It is very young! My father then coached me for several seasons. He has helped me enormously in my journey. ”
Matthew continues his monologue, then getting to talk about his brother. The love he has for her is more than obvious.
“My brother, he’s been my best friend from the start. We spent so much time together on the ice. Our father built us a huge ice rink in the backyard until recently. I can’t count the times we’ve faced each other in one-on-one matches. Wonderful memories. We are constantly pushing ourselves to be better. ”
A decisive choice
So it’s kind of thanks to Carter that Matthew is so talented. And the ease of the latter on a mirror is not really new. In fact, success has been sticking to her for several years. In other words, he is an honors subscriber.
At the end of the 2017-18 campaign, he was named the Bantam MVP of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League after recording 28 goals and 69 assists for 97 points in … 30 regular season games.
The following year, the youngster, a native of St. Albert, Alta., Played 31 games on the same circuit, but this time at the Midget level. His harvest? 71 points.
At the end of another solid season, he was once again the recipient of the title of “MVP” of the circuit.
The Winnipeg Ice took a gamble a few weeks later to make Savoie the first overall pick in the WHL Draft, even though he had made it clear that he was going to run out of his junior internship in the NCAA. But the Manitoba team pulled out all the stops and finally charmed the young man.
Winnipeg Ice
Wayne Fleming Arena serves as the home of the Winnipeg Ice until the club’s new arena is delivered in a few years.
“I hesitated for a long time and it was a special time for my family because my brother chose the NCAA himself. But when the Ice drafted me, I decided to give it a chance and go visit its facilities. I immediately fell in love with the coaching staff and with the arena.
“After some thought, I determined that the WHL was the best place for me to achieve my goals.”
“He has something special about him”
If Savoie’s goal in going to Winnipeg was to attract attention and turn heads with his performances, we can indeed speak of success.
After a very conclusive stopover in the USHL (Fighting Saints of Dubuque) during the 2020-2021 campaign due to pandemic restrictions, Savoie is, as we said from the outset, on a formidable momentum in this first full season in the WHL.
46 points in 29 games. No one has done better in the circuit so far.
“He’s extremely talented,” says a recruiter from the NHL Western Association. When you think the streak is dead, he pulls a bunny out of his hat and causes an unexpected scoring chance. He has something special about him. ”
“This player is an attacking machine,” said another scout. He likes to score goals. Savoie also has an ability to make rivals look bad in tight spaces. He has excellent hands. ”
Here are some great qualities! And to think that the attacker’s trademark was not even mentioned …
“I would say that my main strength is definitely my speed,” says the main person. I can perform several difficult games at a very high tempo.
“My intelligence on the ice is also a great asset. I analyze the different situations well and adapt quickly to them. “
Aware of the quality of his start to the season, Savoie admits to being satisfied with his performance, but understands that the ultimate goal is still a long way off.
“It’s very nice to produce so much, because it’s a big year where the pressure is all over the place. It’s cliché, but I really try to take the matches one at a time. My coaches and teammates help me a lot to stay focused. It’s a long season. ”
The author of these lines then takes a chance.
“How many points do you want to collect by the end of the year?”
“I have numbers in mind, but I will not reveal them. It would be pointless for me at this point. ”
The Alberta hockey player passes the test of maturity with flying colors.
Another disappointment with Hockey Canada
But as sublime his start to the season may have been, Savoie, a few days after his interview with TVA Sports, learned that he was not called to the final camp of Team Canada junior.
While it was impossible to get the skater’s reaction to this surprising decision, it is easy to understand that frustration, sadness and incomprehension must have been the predominant emotions in his case. Especially since Shane Wright, another player playing his draft year, has for his part been selected for the event.
Asked to comment on Savoie’s withdrawal, Alan Millar, director of player personnel at Hockey Canada, still wanted to be reassured about the Winnipeg Ice player.
“Matthew has immense talent. He plays all his games at breakneck speed. He is involved in all three areas. But we have a very strong group this year and they are very young. He will have another chance next year. This is not a disavowal towards him, ”he promised.
Condemned to produce?
If he has been a formidable offensive weapon since his beginnings in hockey, one fact has always remained, in the case of Savoie: he measures 5 feet 9 inches. Unfortunately, says a recruiter, it is still, even in 2021, an aspect that plays against him.
“The thing with him, and it’s unfortunate in a way, is that he’s doomed to produce in the NHL, because the majority of teams are going to prefer a 6-foot-2 guy over a 5-foot guy.” 9 inches on a third or fourth line. “
But Savoie has two strong arguments in its favor. On the one hand, his offensive potential is immense and he may well allow him to play on one of the top two lines in the NHL.
On the other hand, he spends a lot of time polishing his defensive game. It has practically become an obsession.
He therefore makes sure not to leave the choice to the team who will draft him: it will gain by playing him, no matter where.
“I work very hard with the Ice coaches defensively,” says the man who also played baseball as a teenager. I ask a lot of questions. Basically I want to provide better support to my defenders. It’s important that they can count on me.
“You can never be too good defensively. In today’s hockey, the 200-foot play is extremely important. I am aware of this and I spare no effort in this regard. “
This will certainly please the various teams in the NHL. In the meantime, recruiters polled for the center player are unanimous: he should, barring a big surprise, produce on a regular basis in the NHL and establish himself in the top 6 of the team that will draft him. .
“I don’t watch what other people are doing”
Of course, the year a player qualifies for the draft is always special.
But Savoie, contrary to several hopes interviewed as part of this series of reports, is surprisingly very serene in the face of all this. The answer he offers on this subject is, moreover, very revealing.
“Obviously getting drafted early is everyone’s goal. But I’m a very calm guy at the core. I don’t watch what other people are doing. Either way, no matter your selection rank, it’s what you do next that counts. It’s how you develop after the draft that dictates the rest of your career. ”
If there is no certainty from an amateur draft, it is still easy to establish a clear statement about the future of Matthew Savoie.
He will give everything. From the first to the last day.
And this approach, coupled with his undeniable talent, is likely to guarantee him a long and successful career in the NHL. Junior World Championship or not.
Matthew Savoie
Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
5 feet 9 inches
178 lbs
17 goals, 29 assists – 46 points in 29 games, +22