Sophomore Sea Dogs forward making his mark despite injury

It’s Saturday night and Matt Green has just fired up his computer so he can watch his Saint John Sea Dogs battle the Quebec Remparts.

As he gets ready to watch the action unfold at the Centre Videotron, he can only hope he’s back soon.

“It’s definitely tough watching,” Green said. “It was an unfortunate incident. It’s a different view from the stands, but also a good refresher.”

Green was off to a good start in his second QMJHL season. Before injuring his left elbow, he had one goal and three assists in 16 games.

His four points are just one shy of what he produced last year in 44 games as a rookie. But more important than Green’s offence is what he’s providing on the defensive side of the puck.

He had been seeing his share of time on the penalty kill, helping the Sea Dogs rank among the league’s best in that category.

“I just want to get back to where I left off,” Green said. “I’ll hopefully get back on the PK when I get back. I definitely had a bigger role on the PK (compared to last year) and I increased my speed and strength. I’m definitely a lot faster than I was.”

Green’s improved conditioning started shortly after last season’s first-round playoff exit to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Green and twin brother Luke, a second-year defenceman with the Sea Dogs and the league’s first overall draft pick in 2014, made the most of their off-season.

The two were on the ice three times a week and in the gym six times a week, working under the tutelage of Pat Busby at Pro Edge in Halifax.

“He spent a lot of time in the gym this summer and it paid off,” Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young said of Green. “He has a certain set of skills that we appreciate. His hockey sense and his compete level are very high.”

As for his penalty-killing prowess, Green credits assistant coach Jeff Cowan. The former NHLer is in charge of that aspect of special teams, and his efforts are paying off. Saint John’s penalty-killing unit was second in the league on  Nov. 9.

“He was a real hard worker when he played and that rubs off on our players,” Green said of Cowan, who played 413 NHL games for Calgary, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Vancouver. “He’s a good teacher as well. It’s been really fun to learn from him.”

And when it comes to learning, the Green brothers have gained a lot from each other. Long before the duo from Hammonds Plains, N.S., became teammates with the Sea Dogs, the two could be found in the same sporting environments, and there were many. Aside from hockey, the two participated in motocross, soccer, baseball, basketball and golf.

“Hockey was usually our No. 1 sport, but we did pretty well at other sports, too,” Green said.

The Green brothers’ final stop before the Sea Dogs was the Newbridge Academy Gladiators in Lower Sackville, N.S. After the two played for Newbridge as 15-year-olds, the two focused their energy on the next step.

For Luke, that was becoming the QMJHL’s first overall pick. For Matt, it was going in the second round (22nd overall) after he racked up 38 points in 34 games while averaging a point per game in 17 playoff contests.

“To get drafted by the same team was really special,” Green said. “We push each other pretty hard.”

As happy as Matt was for Luke after the latter went first overall in the Q, there could be an even bigger celebration in late June. Luke is a prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft, which will be held in Buffalo, N.Y. He’s long been on the radar of NHL Central Scouting and the separate club lists.

“It’s pretty cool to see,” Green said of his brother. “He’s had a lot of interviews with teams.”

While the Greens have mainly traveled the same path, there are differences. Matt considers himself the quiet one, describing Luke as “a little louder and more outgoing than I am.”

Matt is a loyal Toronto Maple Leafs fan, while Luke “kind of hops around” when it comes to the teams he cheers for. Matt is more of a history buff, but Luke leans more towards math.

“Other than that, we’re not that different,” Green said.

Regardless, they’re on the same page when it comes to the goal for this season: helping the Sea Dogs make a long playoff run. The club hasn’t won a post-season series since winning the 2012 QMJHL championship.

“We definitely want to take it a day at a time, but I think we have the talent to go far this year,” Green said. “I’m really excited to get back. It’s tough seeing your teammates play and you can’t get out there.”

Green hopes to be back around Christmas. And when he does return, he’ll be looking to build on his good start. And he wants to feel that tap on his shoulder when it’s time to kill penalties.

“He was one of our top four penalty-killers and was good on faceoffs,” Young said. “His play kept improving game by game.”