Dominion City’s Mateychuk makes NHL debut in Columbus

Denton Mateychuk had a very happy holidays.

The Dominion City product made his NHL debut for the Columbus Blue Jackets Dec. 23, with his family in attendance.

In a pre-game interview, Mateychuk said he was shocked to get the call up to the big club, noting he was preparing for a game in the American Hockey League (AHL) before getting pulled aside by the coaching staff and told he’ll be heading to Columbus.

“It was everything you dream of as a kid finally coming to fruition,” Mateychuk said in the post-game media scrum.

“It was an awesome moment.”

Nearly the entire Mateychuk clan was able to make the trip out to Columbus to watch the debut, including his dad Jason, mom Keela, sister Brylee and brothers Crosby, Kasen and Maddux.

“You watch your kids growing up playing sports and you dream of moments like this and it’s just surreal watching it unfold,” Jason said during an interview on the Columbus broadcast played in the first period.

“We’re in it together and it wouldn’t make sense for one or two of us to be here, it makes sense for all of us to be here.”

Mateychuk logged more than 18 minutes of ice time in a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens, earning praise from teammates for his steady play in his debut, which included the traditional solo rookie lap in warm-ups.

“I think going out for warm-ups there were probably more nerves, but just starting the game, getting that first one out of the way, I think it’s good,” Mateychuk said.

“I think probably the third or fourth shift, I was like, ‘All right, I’ve settled in a little bit.’ You’re kind of riding the high at the start of the game, so I think once I got a couple under me, I was more settled down.”

Mateychuk isn’t just a local player, he’s also a Steinbach Pistons alumni, as he suited up for the local junior A club for a few games to start the 2020 season.

“He was real good,” Columbus head coach Dean Everson said after Mateychuk’s debut.

“I loved his composure. The best part is he didn’t look out of place. He played key moments of that hockey game and conducted himself very well.”

Columbus alternate captain Zach Werenski said he’s been impressed with Mateychuk in training camps and was happy to welcome him into the NHL fold. Mateychuk didn’t let a last-minute NHL cut from the Columbus roster slow him down. In 27 games in the American Hockey League, he has nine goals and 16 assists.

“Obviously what he’s doing in the American League right now is special. He just plays the right way all over the ice, makes plays, he’s never out of position, and he has success doing it,” Werenski said in an interview for the Blue Jackets’ website after Mateychuk’s debut.

“I’m really happy for him to get this game in. Obviously he had some family here, which is awesome.”

Despite the AHL success, Matecyhuk said he knew succeeding at the next level would take a step up in intensity.

“I knew it was going to be quick coming in, and I was ready to make that adjustment and I felt like I did a pretty good job of that,” he said.

Mateychuk has made the move to the NHL stick, notching his first NHL point in a game against the Red Wings Dec. 31, earning post-game accolades from his teammates.