Koch SUPERU – Change the Way You Grow
Dave Leaderhouse
It is every player’s desire to see how they can perform at a higher level and for La Ronge Ice Wolves’ forward Gavin Mattey the early returns on his move to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League were more than favourable.
After playing three seasons with his hometown Chase Heat of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, where he registered 104 points in 139 regular-season games, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Mattey made the move to northern Saskatchewan and in the five games he dressed for the Ice Wolves he was held off the scoresheet just once.
Mattey picked up one assist in each of his first two games with La Ronge and then notched two more in a convincing victory over the defending regular-season champion Battlefords North Stars. He was then held pointless in a showdown with divisional rival Nipawin, but got back on the scoresheet with another helper in the final game before play was suspended due to the increased concerns with the Covid-19 pandemic.
While his playmaking skills were evident in helping the Ice Wolves claim a share of the Sherwood Division lead before play was stopped, it is fairly clear that it would have only been a matter of time before his scoring prowess would have appeared as he had tallied 45 goals over his final two seasons with the Heat.
Should play resume this year the 19-year-old Mattey will certainly play a big role in helping the Ice Wolves continue with their upward swing as La Ronge made a return to the SJHL post-season last spring for the first time in four years. Their quick start to this unique season was reinforcement that they were on the right track to continued success and with one more season of eligibility remaining Mattey will undoubtedly be counted on even more to lead the club back to the upper echelon.
