Denton Mateychuk

October 2022- Mateychuk was sent back to the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL for the season, where he was named team Captain. Caleb Kerney

July 2022 – Mateychuk has been selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 12th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

December 2021 – Mateychuk played well in an abbreviated WHL season in 2020-21 but he has taken his game to another level for Moose Jaw this year. There is a significant gap between him and the next highest scoring draft-eligible defenceman in the WHL but it is the way that he has balanced an attacking mindset with responsible defensive play that has drawn the most praise. Mateychuk has been a steady climber in scouting circles all season long and there is a chance he could hear his name called within the first ten picks of the 2022 draft if he maintains his strong play in the second half. Nick Richard

September 2021 – With the WHL schedule on hold, Denton Mateychuk began the 2020-21 season playing in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and scored three points in eight games for the Steinbach Pistons. He rejoined Moose Jaw when the WHL season got underway and finished with nine points in 16 games while playing just over 23 minutes per game. The Winnipeg native is expected to play a prominent role for the Warriors in his draft year.

Mateychuk is a well-rounded blue liner with good instincts at both ends of the ice. He is a smooth skater who can shake off opposing forecheckers before skating the puck up ice in offensive transition. He moves the puck quickly but rarely forces it, instead opting to use his mobility to retreat and regroup to create a more advantageous situation. Mateychuk is poised walking the offensive blue line and knows when to activate into space to make himself available or draw pressure away from a puck carrying teammate. His mobility in the offensive zone forces opposing defenders to react and, in turn, can open up passing lanes when his team has established possession. When his team doesn’t have possession of the puck, he utilizes shoulder checks to scan the ice around him and identify potential threats. Mateychuk isn’t the biggest player but he is strong on his feet and takes intelligent routes to cut players off along the boards and slow down the cycle game. He establishes good body positioning in defensive zone coverage and has excellent timing when tying up opposing sticks to disrupt passes into dangerous areas. When defending the rush, Mateychuk consistently takes away the middle of the ice and forces puck carriers wide with good stick positioning. He can be aggressive with his gaps because he can usually recover on the occasions where he gets beat. There isn’t a lot of flair in his game but he does a lot of things that drive play in the right direction for his team. Added extension and power in his stride would make him even more difficult to handle in the junior ranks. He needs to play with a bit more quickness and assertiveness in his decision making but Mateychuk has all the tools to carve out a top-four role in the NHL someday. Nick Richard