Matthew Mayich eyes growth with 67’s in NHL draft year
Not too long ago, Matthew Mayich was anchoring the Hamilton Huskies blueline, helping his team find their way into the top 10 in Ontario.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayich played 72 games for the Huskies, scoring nine goals and 46 points, and in another 15 playoff games, scored eight points, including one goal. Unfortunately for Mayich and the Huskies, a chance at the OHL Cup was lost thanks to the pandemic, and attention turned forward.
Despite a birthday just days before Christmas (December 21st, 2004), Mayich was eligible for the 2020 OHL Draft. He says that the Ottawa 67’s brass, including James Boyd and Jan Egert, were among the first to reach out to him, and his desire to join the Barber Poles only grew throughout the process.
“I wanted to come to Ottawa,” Mayich recalled. “I was just kind of hoping, and it was during COVID, so it was a weird time. I was just lucky to get picked up by a great organization.”
Although it feels like just yesterday that Mayich was sitting on his couch with his family, waiting for his name to be called, the process has been long. Between being picked in the fourth round, 74th overall, by the Barber Poles, there was an entire missed season, once again thanks to the pandemic.
The missed season sent shockwaves around the hockey world that are still felt today, and for the OHL and its players, the impact was heightened. While other leagues around the globe hit the ice, nothing was happening in Ontario, and Mayich, along with all of the other drafted rookies, missed out on a critical season of development.
Finally, in 2021-22, things opened back up, and the 67’s resumed their activities at the Arena at TD Place. The Barber Poles, now over a full year removed from their back-to-back 50-win seasons, opened the season with a tremendously young roster, featuring 10 rookies, but after the long wait, Mayich couldn’t wait to get on the ice again.
“The first time walking out of the tunnel was amazing,” Mayich said. “It’s like ‘wow, I’m in the OHL now.’ You just want to make an impact on the team.”
Almost immediately, Mayich earned the trust of his Head Coach, Dave Cameron. While the 67’s veteran players caught the injury bug, young players were forced to step up and play considerable roles. Among the most prominent was Mayich, who was suddenly thrust into playing a lot of minutes, on the top pair with Jack Matier.
Coming in as a new hire close to the start of the season, and years removed from his last OHL coaching job, Cameron admitted that he wasn’t too familiar with his roster ahead of the 2021-22 season. He insisted that it was a chance to make another first impression, and that trust would be earned, not given. For Mayich, the bigger role was earned, as he took responsibility in his own zone, and came to work every day.
“He was like a lot of the young guys; a work in progress,” Cameron said. “He grew with the team, and he was a whole lot better at the end of the year than he was at the start.”
Mayich’s partnership with Matier has continued into this season, and has been a positive for both of them, but it has developed into an off-ice friendship, as well.
“We’re always talking, and his compete level just brings everyone else’s up during practice,” Mayich said of his defensive partner. “He always shares information from going to NHL camps, and that’s always great for me.”
The partnership has been beneficial for Mayich, of course, but Matier has also been able to reap the benefits. He has taken advantage of Mayich’s stout play in the defensive zone, and has expanded on his role offensively, scoring at a better rate season after season.
“It gives me more range to jump up in the rush and play a little more offence,” Matier said. “He’s been really good to play with.”
When Matier came into the OHL, he was quickly rushed into a very similar situation as Mayich, playing big minutes on the top pair, this time with Noel Hoefenmayer. The two have shared information with each other, and Matier has taken his younger counterpart under his wing, but he says he hasn’t had to do too much.
“He’s a really good player, so he figured it out quickly,” Matier said. “I’m here if he ever has questions, but he has things figured out.”
Thanks to his late birthday, Mayich, unlike many of the other 2004-born players, wasn’t eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft, and is only entering his draft year this season. He says that playing his way up the rankings isn’t his main concern, but admits that it’s hard not to think about it.
Still, with the majority of the season to play, Mayich is working on keeping himself grounded, and not worrying about what’s to come, instead focusing on the 67’s.
“As Coach Cameron says, you’re not going to play your whole career out in one game,” Mayich said. “If you practice well, you’ll play well. That’s the mentality I’ve taken.”
As a veteran coach who has been through the gauntlet at many levels, both as a coach, and as a player, Cameron knows the draft can be a distraction for young players. He says that it’s up to the player to negate the impact, but he can help guide them through.
“If you’re good enough, you’ll make it,” Cameron said. “NHL teams don’t leave any stones unturned, so instead of being worried about being drafted, I advise them to concentrate on the process, and get better every day.”
