MEET THE CHIEFS 2015-16: #21 MATT SOZANSKI
(by Joe Everson / Spokane Chiefs Education Advisor)
SPOKANE, Wash. – It took third-year Spokane defenseman Matt Sozanski 141 games to record his first Western Hockey League goal, but that one was just the beginning.
Sozanski also scored in each of the Chiefs’ next two games; victories over Everett and Portland during the Chiefs’ final week of regular season play, helping clinch a playoff position for Spokane.
“That made me pretty happy,” the Calgary native said, “especially because it came when we were making a playoff push. I think I move the puck pretty well and I’ve always seen myself as an offensive threat, but the goals just haven’t come.
“I haven’t shown that part of my game as much as I’d like, but what’s more important is doing what the team needs me to do. I try to do that whether I’m scoring or not.”
Matt gets excited when he talks about playoff hockey.
“Any one of the older guys will tell you how awesome it is to be in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s a whole new season, and all the ups and downs of the regular season don’t matter. Any team can beat anybody else once the playoffs start. It really reveals who you are as a player.”
Sozanski played only 33 games last season before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the year, and says he was a bit nervous coming into camp last August.
“I was waiting to see what that first contact would be like,” he said, “but I had worked hard on my rehab with (Chiefs trainer) Todd Daniels, my physiotherapist in Calgary, and on my own. After the first couple hits, I felt as good as new.”
When Sozanski talks about his Chiefs’ career, he notes that the mental challenges of the long seasons are equal to the physical tests, and that his WHL experience has helped him to grow up quickly.
“The way you go out of the WHL is very different than how you come in,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to treat people respectfully, and also how to present myself in public. I think I’ve matured a lot and I feel that I’m more a man than a boy now.”
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Spokane Chiefs Education Advisor Joe Everson works with all Chiefs players, from those still in high school to those pursuing a post-secondary education or preparing to do so following their WHL career. Throughout this season, Everson will profile individual Chiefs to provide insight into their lives, their preparation and their goals for the future.
