Vancouver Canucks Prospect Matthew Perkins Discusses The Hockey Way – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

In the 2023 NHL draft, the Vancouver Canucks made an impressive surprise draft pick. The first is Ty Mueller from the University of Nebraska-Omaha who just signed an NHL contract late last season and looks to be a big part of the Abbotsford Canucks for the 2024-25 season. The second was center Matthew Perkins who went undrafted in his first year of eligibility in 2022 but was selected by Vancouver in the fourth round the following year. Perkins was selected to the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2023, committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and played there in the 2023-24 season, tallying 15 points in 35 games.

Perkins' route to Minnesota-Duluth

Born in Balgonie, Saskatchewan, Perkins played his junior hockey in his home province playing for the Prairie Storm in the Saskatchewan minor hockey league and eventually playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors U18 AAA team. “I think the AAA league in Saskatchewan is a very good league,” Perkins said Hockey Writers while reflecting on his younger hockey years. “That league was a big opportunity for me.

Perkins decided to take the NCAA route instead of playing in the CHL (Canadian Hockey League) which has become the most popular route for players to take in Canada. Perkins decided to take the college route because he felt he was “always a late bloomer” in terms of development when it came to his on-ice and off-ice game. With that difference, college is a better place for him because players have more time to sign with an NHL team than they do in the CHL.

CHL players need to sign entry-level contracts (ELCs) with NHL teams within two draft seasons while NCAA players can wait more than two years to sign an ELC. Some even wait five seasons before signing their contract. Perkins can now develop his game more and more at the university level and once he turns pro, he could be ready for the NHL and skip the AHL like Matthew Knies did with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Frank Nazar did with the Chicago Blackhawks.

As he took this route, he needed to play Junior “A” and could not play in the Western Hockey League, so he stayed close to home and played for the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Broncos were in the news six years ago after their bus crash in 2018 but the team has rebuilt their program since the tragedy and Perkins was a part of that. “I loved my time at Humboldt,” Perkins said. “[The league] it's a little grittier and more difficult in the game and that was helping my development. Perkins also excelled in his first season with Humboldt, recording 59 points in 57 games to help Humboldt reach the top of their division and reach the second round of the playoffs.

After finishing his season in Humboldt, Perkins headed south of the border to play for the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms. Perkins joined a great Youngstown team that won USHL championships with top players such as Blue Jackets prospect William Whitelaw, Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak, and Montreal Canadiens prospect Jacob Fowler. “It was great,” Perkins said of his time in Youngstown. “We had an amazing locker room and from top to bottom from the owners to the coaches to the coaches we had an amazing team.” Perkins also talked about how the USHL was compared to his year in Humboldt. “It's very fast and I found it very deep. Some teams could roll all four lines and it didn't matter who the teams were playing. There's a lot of skill and it's still very fast, definitely more skillful and faster than when I played in the SJHL.”

Before his breakout year in Youngstown, Perkins had committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Perkins said the main reason he chose UMD was because of their head coach, Scott Sandelin. Sandelin and Perkins really bonded during the recruiting process. “It just suited me and the place I felt comfortable with. [Sandelin] it has produced a lot of great, long-term NHL players and that's what really caught my eye.” Other notable players Sandelin coached at UMD are Justin Faulk of St. Louis Blues, Alex Iafallo of the Winnipeg Jets, and current Canuck Carson Soucy.

Perkins' Canucks Experience

Perkins hasn't had much interaction with the Canucks since he's still a hotshot, but the few he's had he'll never forget. The first was when he was drafted in 2023. “It was a little surreal,” Perkins said. “It still feels surreal.” On draft day in Nashville, Perkins was away so he celebrated with his family in Saskatchewan. He had just come home from the gym and started eating breakfast because he didn't expect to be chosen like him. As he ate, his mother screamed as his name came on the television and he had been selected by the Canucks. “I honestly don't know if I can describe the feeling, it was so amazing,” he said.

Related: The Canucks' top 15 prospects for the 2024-25 season

Perkins has now been fortunate enough to attend two development camps in Vancouver and learn a lot from the Canucks development staff. He really enjoyed the most recent development camp which saw him get more face-to-face time with the staff in Vancouver. “[Development camp] it was unbelievable. We took about half the guys that we did from last year and we got a lot more at one time and for me as a forward when you have the ability to be on the ice with 10 other guys and the Sedins is great. which is not true.” Perkins has enjoyed his time in the Canucks organization so far but knows he will still need time to develop his game before he can become a player.

Perkins has a long way to go before he becomes an NHL player and right now he is determined to help his school reach the playoffs. He hopes to become a leader in his team and take another step in his development.