Mateychuk Making Case to be a First Round NHL Pick
Published on February 1, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Denton Mateychuk is putting together a pretty impressive resume to give NHL teams going into the 2022 NHL Draft.
In his first full season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, the 17-year-old is putting together a season to remember.
He currently second in the Western Hockey League in scoring among defencemen with 38 points in 40 games this season.
"It's been a good year for the team and myself," Mateychuk said after practice this week. "I've been able to produce pretty well and I'm just going to keep that going, I'm really enjoying how I'm playing right now."
It looks like Mateychuk is just getting started as he has points in 11 of his past 13 games, including four multi-point efforts over that span.
He sits one point behind Owen Zellweger of the Everett Silvertips for the league lead.
"Coaches give me the green light to play that offensive part of my game," Mateychuk said.
After posting two goals and nine points in 16 games during the Subway WHL Hub last season and winning a gold medal with Canada at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship, Mateychuk wanted to take his game to the next level this season.
"The more games you get into, you just keep learning, keep seeing what you can do differently and what you can do to improve," he said. "Our coaches do a good job of always giving us video to see what we're doing right and wrong and that helps me a lot."
Coming into this season, Mateychuk was expected to be on NHL scouts radar and has done nothing but help his standing with eight goals and 30 assists so far.
Mateychuk was ranked ninth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in its midterm rankings and was the highest rank defenceman in the WHL.
The last Warriors' defenceman to be taken in the first round was Morgan Rielly, who went fifth overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012. Rielly had 18 points in 18 games that season before suffering an injury.
Fellow Manitobans Josh Brook and Jett Woo were both second round selections by Montreal in 2017 and Vancouver in 2018, respectively.
Mateychuk currently has more points than Woo, who finished with nine goals and 25 points over 44 games in his draft, and just two less points than Brook posted in 69 games during his draft campaign.
While he's an offensive weapon from the back end, Mateychuk has also shown scouts his ability to play to play at both ends.
His plus-12 rating is tied with Matthew Gallant for the team lead.
That's proof that Mateychuk has developed into one of the Warriors' most dependable defencemen, playing big minutes on the team's top pairing with Captain Daemon Hunt.
Hunt said Mateychuk's deception is his most impressive trait.
"His ability to escape the forecheckers is really big, you see it every night with his feet, he can escape anybody," he said. "It's really fun to watch and for me as a pairing, it's nice sometimes when you're tired out there, he can just wheel it up the ice and get the puck deep."
Hunt, a third round pick of the Minnesota Wild, knows what it's like to go through a draft year and has lent his ear to Mateychuk to help him through the process.
"He's his own player, he knows what he's capable of and it's a big year for him, but I'm here supporting him on the bench and off the ice," he said.
"He's playing great hockey, he's putting out great numbers and he shows on the ice every single night he comes in and competes and is a difference maker."
Mateychuk said it was exciting to see his name near the top in the draft rankings, but he's not thinking about that too much at this point.
"It's definitely something to be excited about and it makes it a bit more enjoyable to play, have something to look forward to, but also going into the playoffs, that's my main goal and that's what I'm really excited about with this group of guys."
Mateychuk will look to continue adding to his resume this weekend when the Warriors head to Swift Current and Medicine Hat.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 1, 2022
- Crown Chronicles: Oil Kings Strike Back - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Nijhoff, Hockey Gives Blood to Run Blood Drive on March 3 - Regina Pats
- Mateychuk Making Case to be a First Round NHL Pick - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Taylor Gauthier Named WHL Goaltender of the Month for January - Portland Winterhawks
- Tigers Sign Corbet - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Former Rocket to Carry Flag at Opening Ceremony - Kelowna Rockets
- Raiders Sending Fan Bus to Moose Jaw - Prince Albert Raiders
- Americans Look to Continue Success against Prince George - Tri-City Americans
- Gauthier Named WHL's January Goalie of the Month - Portland Winterhawks
- Stars Prospect Stankoven Named McSweeney's WHL Player of the Month - WHL
- Winterhawks Netminder Gauthier Named WHL Goaltender of the Month - WHL
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