July 19, 2012, New Jersey Devils rookie camp notebook for Metro Newspaper in NYC
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BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES
Stefan Matteau pulls on the sweater of his father's hated rival at last month's draft.
Forgive Stefan Matteau if he tires of talking about the famous
goal his father, Stephane, scored against the Devils 18 years ago. He
has only lived with it nearly everyday of his life.
The No. 29 overall pick in June’s NHL Entry Draft was three months old
when his father’s wraparound goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference
final eliminated the Devils from the playoffs and set the stage for the
Rangers’ first Stanley Cup in 54 years.
“I’ve seen it too many time to count. Come playoff time it’s always on,”
Matteau said Thursday. “I’ve looked at it myself. I always joke around
with my dad about it. It wasn’t a nice goal, but it was a pretty
important goal.”
Matteau was one of 39 players who participated in the Devils’ week-long
rookie camp at the AmeriHealth Pavilion, inside the Prudential Center.
And he quickly showed flashes of why the team thinks he’ll be an
important part of their future.
Midway through the second period of the team’s scrimmage, goaltender
Chris Rawlings was forced to freeze the puck after a shot from the
mid-line because Matteau had beaten White Team defenseman Thomas Parisi
to the front of the net.
For an organization like the Devils, for whom Stanley Cups are the
stated goal, it was a play that could resonate in the minds of the
decision makers.
“If you show you can play and play the right way, there’s opportunity
here,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “If you do things right, you have a
chance to play.”
For now, Matteau will spend next season with the Blainville-Boisbriand
Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where his dad is an
assistant coach. He will also attend the U.S. Under-20 tryout camp in
Lake Placid next month where he hopes to make the squad that will
represent the United States in the World Junior Hockey Championship in
Ufa, Russia.
DeBoer, who attended Thursday’s session, agreed with the suggestion that
Matteau’s height (6-foot-2) and weight (200 pounds) seem to project the
left-winger developing into a David Clarkson-esque player.
“We like that type of hockey. We want to be a hard team to play against.
He fits that mold,” DeBoer said. “The scouting reports, where he was
drafted, say that he’s that type of player. That’s the first foot in the
door. Now the rest is up to him on where he takes that.”
Devils notes
The Devils announced on Tuesday that Scott Stevens and Matt Shaw were
hired as assistant coaches to replace Larry Robinson and Adam Oates, who
took assistant coaching and head coaching positions with San Jose and
Washington, respectively.
When DeBoer met with reporters Thursday morning, he said that Stevens
will coach the defense corps and Shaw will run the power play. The
Devils retained goaltending coach Chris Terreri and Dave Barr. Stevens
and Barr will be on the bench and Shaw will view the game from the press
box.
“Obviously when you lose very good people like we lost in Adam and Larry
your first thought is where are you going to find quality
replacements,” DeBoer said. “I feel very fortunate to be able to fill
those spots with the people we have here.”
DeBoer said he was “disappointed” that the Devils were unable to re-sign
Zach Parise and noted that he had not spoken with Ilya Kovalchuk
regarding the wing’s health following the Stanley Cup final. He also
said that he “hadn’t put a date” on naming a captain.
Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
Follow NHL beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1148083--stefan-matteau-revenge-of-the-matteau-family
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 1:55 PM
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