Gard getting plenty of notice early in sophomore season

By DANNY RODE

Matthew Gard couldn’t have asked for a much better start to this season with the Red Deer Rebels.

The 17-year-old native of Winnipeg is tied with Carson Birnie for the team lead in points with eight on three goals and five helpers in 10 games.

“Obviously it’s a good start to my season and it’s cool thing to do, but ultimately at the end of the day it’s important to help the team win, that’s the only thing I care about,” said the six-foot-five 195-pound centre.

Rebels head coach Dave Struch believes the work Gard put in during the off-season played a major role in his start to this season.

“What he did in the off-season, conditioning himself and he came in ready to play and played hard,” Struch said. “He also continues his work ethic on the ice and off the ice. He’s been very reliable right from the beginning … came in and is doing things the right way.

“It shows when you play hard, and you complete and you battle. His hockey IQ also takes over at times, which is good.”

Struch believes in Gard, using him in reliable situations.

“We can put him on the ice in big situations against the other team’s top lines.”

And, of course, looking for him to add to the offence.

“Matthew is getting some point production… he’s having an impact on our game because of all the extra stuff he does. He’s a perfect example of investing and doing things the right way and is getting rewarded.”

Gard was selected in the second round, 39^th overall at the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft and had an idea the Rebels had their eye on him at the time.

“They showed some interest in me during that season, and this was a place I wanted to go. I was pumped when they took me.”

He was invited to camp, signed and played a pair of exhibition games as a 15-year-old.

“That was huge for me in my development,” he said. “To adjust to the league and get to know how things would be coming back here.”

He was able to see “just the consistency you have to have every day to be a top player in this league and to help your team win every single day.”

Gard had a solid 2022-23 season with the RINK U18 Prep team, scoring nine goals and 10 assists in 19 games. That helped propel him into a spot with the Rebels last season where he played 55 games, scoring seven times and adding 11 helpers.

While Gard has the offensive ability to play in the league, he also has the size to be a dominant force along the boards.

“This year I’m looking to be more physical, trying to build on that and add more to my game. That will help me as a player.”

Overall, he sees himself as a “200-foot player, a big skilled centre who can product offensively and play a physical game… a shut down game in he defensive zone.”

That skill set has already drawn the attention of the pros, says Struch.

“He is getting noticed. When the NHL sees someone with that size and they look at the possibilities of what he could look like, play like, be like in the future. We hope he continues to develop throughout the year here.”

Gard would very much love to make the NHL.

“Obviously it’s a dream growing up,” he said.

Struch also knows the opposition is noticing him.

“Where he’s got himself at now, teams are beginning to notice him and are playing harder against him. So, there will be some growing pains, but it will be fun to see where he gets to and how he responds to those different situations.”

Gard will continue to work in the middle, but also play left wing when needed.

“Most centres can play the wing when needed. He’s done a great job there because of his hockey IQ,” said Struch.

“It’s a strength when you have someone like that down the middle and you have the opportunity to play him in different situations. He takes advantage of it, and we can rely heavily on him.”

The Rebels will continue to rely on him as they look to get back on a winning streak after losing four of their last six games.

“As a team we just need to refocus, work hard in practice this week and go on to our next challenge Friday,” said Gard.

The Rebels host the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday at 7 p.m. at the Peavey Mart Centrium. It’s the fifth time they face the Tigers in their first 12 games this season. They won the first three before losing 3-0 in Medicine Hat, Oct. 9.

They travel to Lethbridge Saturday.