The New York Islanders have assembled a nice nucleus of young, talented players that they hope can continue to grow and be the pillars of their club for the foreseeable future. Obviously, as a #1 overall draft pick, John Tavares gets a significant amount of recognition, but another player that has been a consistent point producer and a nice compliment to Tavares is Matt Moulson. The native of North York, Ontario has proven over the course of the past two seasons that he is a capable scorer at the NHL level and a player that can dominate some of the tougher areas of ice in the offensive zone. He didn’t have as direct a path to the NHL as many of his peers who he grew up playing against in the ultra-competitive Toronto minor-hockey scene. After playing some Tier II junior in the GTA, Matt decided that the NCAA was the best route for him, accepting a scholarship at Cornell University to play for their Division I hockey team. After a strong four-year career there, where he increased his point totals in each season, Matt, who was originally drafted by the Penguins in the 9th round in 2003, signed as a free-agent with the Los Angeles Kings. He would spend most of his time with the Kings organization with their AHL club in Manchester, honing his skills and waiting for his chance. After agreeing to a deal with the Islanders as an unrestricted free-agent in the summer of 2009, Matt finally got his full-time shot in the NHL. He has certainly made the most of it. His tenacious forecheck and talent around the net have seen him become a nightly scoring threat for the Isles. As the team in Long Island continues to try to become a factor in the Eastern Conference, there is no doubt the Islanders will need Matt Moulson to continue his strong play for their goals to be achieved.
- Matt has been tearing up the score-sheet recently, notching seven points in the Isles’ past three games
- He became the first NHL Player this season to score four-goals in a single game, achieving the feat against the Dallas Stars on December 3rd in an Islanders 5-4 win
- With 13 goals to date, Matt is on pace for a career year of lighting the lamp
BIOGRAPHY:
- Born in North York, Ontario, Canada on November 1, 1983
- Drafted in the 9thround, 263rd overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins
- Currently a member of the New York Islanders, after starting his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings
- Played four years at Cornell University, including his senior year in 2005-06 when he acted as the team captain
- A talented lacrosse player, Matt was also drafted in the National Lacrosse League, by the Rochester Knighthawks
- Matt and LA Kings goaltender, Jonathan Quick are brother in-laws, having married sisters Alicia and Jaclyn Backman