Player of the Month for January
Presents Game On Magazine’ s
Player of the Month for January
How Matt Calvert Single-Handedly Propelled the Blue Jackets’ Winning Streak
By Carter Brooks Photo by James Carey Lauder
Over the years, Brandon has put itself on the map as a factory for high-end hockey players. From Ron Hextall to Glen Hanlon to Joel Edmundson, the Wheat City just keeps on producing outstanding players. However, the toughest of those prairie boys just might be Matt Calvert.
The 2016-17 season has already been one heck of a ride for the 27-year-old. His Columbus Blue Jackets – a team that finished the 2015-16 season in 26th place in the NHL – were not off to a good start and rumours were spreading that a shakeup could be on its way.
Unfortunately for Matt Calvert and his face, that shakeup came in the form of a Nick Holden slap-shot to the forehead.
It was a gruesome injury that required 36 stitches, but in true Brandon form, Calvert came right back out onto the ice, bandage and all, and scored the game-winning-goal for the Blue Jackets. It can be argued that it was in that moment of sacrifice that Columbus turned its season around.
Winning six of their next nine games, the Blue Jackets began a streak of 16 straight games with a win, one short of the NHL record. When asked about the shot to the forehead, all Calvert could say was that it might have knocked some sense into him.
The Brandon product recently found himself in Winnipeg as the Jets played host to the Blue Jackets. For Calvert, the experience of playing this close to home is one that never gets old.
“ It’ s awesome coming back to Manitoba,” he said.“ It’ s a lot of fun. I got to see my family who live here, and I even got to have dinner with them. Manitoba is all I knew growing up. Being from Brandon, Winnipeg was my biggest rival, so it’ s always fun doing it again – I’ m just a bit older this time around. As a kid I dreamed of being in the NHL, so to be able to live out your childhood dream, it’ s pretty special.”
Growing up in Brandon, Calvert had a lot of opportunities to hone his hockey skills, but for him the biggest contributor to his success was the time he got to spend outdoors.
“ I lived at the outdoor rink,” he said.“ Every time I got home from school as a kid, I would head there for three or four hours and just play by myself, or with whomever was there. That was definitely my childhood thing, and something that I want my son to grow up doing as well.”
Although raising a son in Columbus, Ohio would provide all sorts of wonderful possibilities, growing up on an outdoor rink would probably not be one of them. n
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2016- 17 ROSTER DEADLINE EDITION GAME ON 7