Matthew Knies

Matthew Knies (born October 17, 2002) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Knies was drafted 57th overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Matthew Knies
Born (2002-10-17) October 17, 2002
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
NHL team Toronto Maple Leafs
National team  United States
NHL Draft 57th overall, 2021
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 2023–present

Playing career

Junior

Knies played two full seasons for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he recorded 31 goals and 56 assists in 90 games. Knies was drafted in the second round, 57th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

College

Beginning his collegiate career, Knies first played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the 2021–22 season.[2] During his freshman season, he ranked tied for third on the team, and first among freshman, with 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 29 games. Following an outstanding season, he was a unanimous pick for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and was named a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[3]

The 2022–23 season saw further success for Knies, notably playing on a top line with fellow NHL prospects Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud that was considered one of the best in college ice hockey. He scored 21 goals and 21 assists in 40 games.[4][5] He won the Big Ten Player of the Year award, and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in American college ice hockey, with Cooley also one of the three.[6][7] The Golden Gophers reached the national championship game at the 2023 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, but ultimately were defeated by the Quinnipiac Bobcats in overtime.[8] Following the tournament, he decided to conclude his collegiate career, finishing with 36 goals and 39 assists in 73 career games.[9]

Professional

On April 9, 2023, Knies signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.[10][5] Upon his arrival in Toronto, he was hosted by team captain John Tavares at his house.[11] Knies made his NHL debut on April 10, in a road game against the Florida Panthers.[9] After playing in the final three games of the regular season, Knies continued with the team into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He notably had a primary assist on Tavares' series-clinching goal in Game 6 that saw the Maple Leafs win their first playoff series since 2004.[12] The Maple Leafs faced the Panthers in the second round, and Knies scored his first career NHL goal against Sergei Bobrovsky in the opening game of the series on May 2.[13] He exited Game 2 after being concussed by Panthers forward Sam Bennett, and it was subsequently announced that he would miss at least the next two games.[14]

International play

Knies represented the United States at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he appeared in one game before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

On January 13, 2022, Knies was named to the United States national team's roster to represent the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[17]

Personal life

Knies has an older brother, Phillip, who played for Miami University and Bentley University. They are the sons of Miroslav and Michaela Knies, who immigrated to the United States from Slovakia before Matthew's birth. Knies is fluent in Slovak, which he uses to speak to his grandparents. Growing up in Arizona, Knies was a fan of the Arizona Coyotes.[18][19][20]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2018–19 Tri-City Storm USHL 20000 —————
2019–20 Tri-City Storm USHL 4414314512 —————
2020–21 Tri-City Storm USHL 4417254224 31340
2021–22 University of Minnesota B1G 3315183331 —————
2022–23 University of Minnesota B1G 4021214229 —————
2022–23 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 30112 71344
NHL totals 30112 71344

International
Year Team Event Result GPGAPtsPIM
2022 United States OG 5th 41122
2022 United States WJC 5th 50330
Junior totals 50330
Senior totals 41122

Awards and honours
Award Year
College
All-Big Ten Freshman Team 2022 [21]
All-Big Ten Second Team 2022
Big Ten Player of the Year 2023 [22]
All-Big Ten First Team 2023
AHCA West First Team All-American 2023 [23]

References
  1. Kloke, Joshua (February 11, 2022). "Olympics could be a springboard to pro hockey for Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies". The Athletic. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  2. "Matthew Knies Bio". gophersports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  3. "Meyers, Faber, Motzko Lead 'U' Big Ten Honorees". gophersports.com. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  4. Donnelly, Patrick (March 30, 2023). "Breaking down the top-3 finalists for the 2023 Hobey Baker Award". NCAA. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  5. "Knies off to Toronto after Signing NHL Deal". gophersports.com. April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. Johnson, Randy (March 14, 2023). "Gophers score a hat trick in Big Ten hockey awards, winning three of five individual honors". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  7. "Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, Adam Fantilli named 2023 Hobey Baker Award finalists". The Athletic. March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. "Gophers fall to Qunnipiac in OT at NCAA Frozen Four Championship". MPR News. April 8, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. Fox, Luke (April 10, 2023). "'Get that joy back': Matthew Knies makes meaningful Maple Leafs debut". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  10. "Maple Leafs Sign Forward Matthew Knies To Three-year, Entry-level Contrac". NHL.com. April 9, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  11. Alter, David (April 16, 2023). "Maple Leafs Captain John Tavares Opens Home to Rookie Matthew Knies During Playoff Run". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  12. Brehm, Mike (April 29, 2023). "Maple Leafs end drought, Lightning's major playoff run with Game 6 win". USA Today. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  13. "Verhaeghe gives Panthers 3-2 lead over Leafs after two periods; Knies gets first NHL goal". The Sports Network. May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  14. Fox, Luke (May 5, 2023). "Maple Leafs' Knies sidelined at least two games with concussion". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  15. "Gophers Trio Named to U.S. WJC Roster". gophersports.com. December 14, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  16. Steiss, Adam (December 29, 2021). "World Juniors cancelled". IIHF.com. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  17. "2022 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team Unveiled". teamusa.com. January 13, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  18. Ryan, Megan (October 29, 2021). "Big body, big start: Freshman Matthew Knies making impact on Gophers hockey right away". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  19. Robinson, Tom (March 4, 202). "Following His Brother's Footsteps, Matthew Knies Is Also Thriving From Phoenix to the USHL". USA Hockey. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  20. "Phil Knies at eliteprospects.com". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  21. "Hockey Postseason Honors Announced". Big Ten. March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  22. "Big Ten Hockey Postseason Honors Announced". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  23. "2022-23 Men's CCM Hockey Division I All-Americans". ahcahockey.com. April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
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