Before coming to Denver from Calgary, Alberta, freshman hockey goalie Matt Davis had an impressive slate of accomplishments. Netting a save percentage of 89.5, he neared numbers seen in the NHL. On the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) during the 2019 season, he had a 2.42 GAA (goals against average) and a .900 save rate. He represented Team Canada during the 2019-20 season, and he was second in a championship with the Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL) at the 2019 Sirius Junior Club World Cup in Sochi, Russia. Before that, he had represented Canada in 2018 and 2019 at the World Junior A Challenges.
In Sochi, Davis’ team included DU’s Mike Benning (St. Albert, Alberta) and Carter Savoie (St. Albert, Alberta). Though they ended up falling short in the final to a stacked Russian lineup, who were the defending champions, the Canadian team was chock-full of future DU talent. Davis’s coach selected him as the finishing piece of the puzzle for the all-star team.
“Growing up in Calgary, there are a lot of coaches around that I can work with. I approach every coach like I can take one thing out of it just to make myself better, so it’s just cool being able to see a bunch of different opinions,” Davis said.
Now under Coach David Carle of the Crimson and Gold, Davis is an exciting prospect.
Carle said Davis’s playstyle is competitive, which he attributes to years of experience.
“He played three years of junior hockey and has played at every competitive level,” Carle said. One of his strengths is that “he can play the puck,” Carle continued.
As a freshman, Davis is eager to demonstrate his experience and style of play on a skilled team.
“I want to be someone who DU can rely on for whatever role I need to play, and someone who’s consistent, who works hard and brings a good attitude to the rink every day,” he explained. In the future, he hopes to play in the NHL.
As fans returned to Magness arena, Davis detected a noticeable change in DU’s energy.
“We’ve got a great fan base here, and the boys definitely feed off that energy, and it definitely makes guys a lot more excited to come to the rink every day,” he said.
Despite many fans returning to the arena, the Davis camp has been missing one important person. In August of 2018, Davis’s mother was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma.
“She finished her last official chemo treatment in January of 2019. It’s definitely something that is not easy—I wanna be with her—but I know that what she’d want is for me to follow my dreams and pursue what I love, so it definitely makes it a lot easier knowing that she’s so supportive and just an awesome human being,” said Davis.
“I know that there are a lot of uncontrollables in the world right now, and especially with her situation I’d rather her stay home. And I know she’s watching on TV whenever she can—she cheers loud enough I can almost hear her from here,” he continued.
In honor of his mother’s strength, Davis is participating in September’s blood cancer awareness month, helping with a campaign from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada to help fight blood cancers. The campaign has raised over $154,831 towards blood cancer research to help out his mom and other blood cancer victims and survivors, surpassing their original $100,000 goal.
From saving the puck to setting up a wonderful cause, Davis is a true heartfelt player. To support Davis and his cause, you can donate here.
For up-and-coming players, Davis had one piece of advice above all else.
“Stay the course, trust the process, work hard and really just enjoy every minute of it. The journey’s the best part,” he said.
