| Matthew Maltais | Alberni Valley Bulldogs | BCHL | L | LW | 6’1″ | 170 | Nebraska Omaha | 2023 | Saint-Basile-le-Grand, QC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
BCHL: Victoria vs Alberni Valley, February 21, 2022: Maltais has a high hockey IQ as the puck seems to find his stick in high scoring areas. Understands when to attack the net, or when to possess the puck and create cycle plays with his line mates. Scored the 2nd goal of the game by picking up a loose puck in the corner, attacking the net, and wrapping the puck in far side. Consistently had scoring chances and created offense for his team. Game Grade: B
True Cup in Salem, NH, January 27, 2022: Maltais finished a lot of hits this weekend. He can score in different ways, as he did while screening the goalie in Saturday’s game against St. Andrews. While he was relatively limited offensively this weekend when it came to scoring, he still dished out a lot of passes for some great chances. He has good vision for the game and has a nice release and heavy shot. We know he is a highly skilled forward with a lot of game. Grade: B+
Flood Marr Tournament, December 31, 2021: Maltais is a tall, long, athletic forward with smooth hands and a balanced stride. He can use his speed to get around defenders but also has a low knee bend and absorbs contact and makes plays in traffic. He can give and receive hard passes on his forehand and backhand and is able to win puck battles and shield the puck from opponents coming off the wall. A Quebec native who was drafted in the middle rounds of the USHL and QMJHL drafts but has continued his improvement since then. He has a bullet release both on his wrister and snap shot and he’s able to get it off in stride and while taking contact. A well-rounded prospect who didn’t have his best overall performance here with just 2 goals in 4 games but he showed flashes of an expansive skill set from his stride, his speed, his skill, his shot, his power game and his puck protection and possession game. Grade: B+
NE Prep: Kimball Union vs New Hampton, October 18, 2020: Maltais was easily the best forward in this contest and impressive that he was also one of the youngest as well. The Nebraska-Omaha commit had a decorated career in Quebec and was selected in the 6th round of the QMJHL Draft by Shawinigan but now he is plying his trade in prep for KUA, joining a roster of other Quebecois talents. He has a big body and frame which makes him tough to move off the puck, especially in the slot where he likes to hang out. He’s not afraid to go into traffic: he’s done it so many times before. But, if you give him space and time he becomes even more deadly. He can stretch out his long strides and beat you wide routinely, especially if he chips the puck to space behind the D. He takes ice if you give him room, and he will shoot from anywhere. He has a strong wrist shot with a little extra on it compared to most at this level. He didn’t hit the net on many of those shots but, this is the first game of the year, after all. He is willing to take hits to make plays and he will take your number and dial you up later in the game, so he clearly has a good memory. Uses his long stick in order to influence plays and poke pucks lose as well to start the transition. He looks to be ready to contribute from the jump this season in the NEPSAC. Look out. Grade: A
2004s: Ville de Saguenay: CCM Midget AAA Challenge, February 10, 2020: Maltais is a good sized forward who is a beautiful skater. He’s smooth, fast, powerful, and great in transition. Shows some puck touch and uses agility to buy time and space for himself. Matthew goes to net and acts as a disruptor on the powerplay – being a net distraction, but he can also snap the puck off quickly on his own. He was relied upon to play a lot of minutes with veteran forwards. He has smart positioning and is always an easy outlet for defenseman. His skating needs to pick up a notch to become elite. Grade A- College: Nebraska-Omaha
2004s: Junior Chowder Cup, August 6, 2019: Maltais played consistently well when we saw him during the Jr. Chowder Cup. He is a big body, standing at 6’1 152. He is a clean skater who can generate a lot of speed with his quick and powerful strides. He can also protect the puck well with his body and he has good hands to match. When he’s out there: he plays with a lot of confidence, he looks comfortable on the ice: a swagger if you will. He is a smart player and skates with his head up looking to create high percentage plays. He makes crisp tape-to-tape passes and generates quality scoring chances. He has a hard shot and can place it where he wants it to go at a young age. It doesn’t come as any surprise to us that he was plucked before the new NCAA rules went into effect Grade: B College: University of Nebraska Omaha
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