Matt Thomas (ice hockey)

Last updated
Matt Thomas
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
Team Providence Bruins
Biographical details
Born (1975-10-25) October 25, 1975 (age 49)
Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
Playing career
1993–1994 St. Michael's Buzzers
1994–1998 RIT
Position(s) Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1998–1999 RIT (assistant)
2000–2002 Maine (assistant)
2002–2004 Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (assistant)
2004–2005Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
2005–2009 Fresno Falcons
2008–2013 Stockton Thunder
2013–2018 Alaska-Anchorage
2018–2021 Cincinnati Cyclones
2021–present Providence Bruins (assistant)

Matt Thomas (born October 25, 1975) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League. [1]

Contents

Career

Following in his brother, Art's footsteps, Matt Thomas started his college career as a player for RIT during a period where the team was at the top of the Division III ranks. The Tigers finished as national runners-up in his sophomore season and continued with two more strong campaigns (including Thomas being captain in his final year), before Thomas ended his playing days and turned to coaching. [2] Thomas stayed with RIT for one season as an assistant before moving on to Division I, signing up with Maine in the early 2000s. Thomas arrived in Orono, Maine, just after Shawn Walsh was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and helped the team through the difficult period when Walsh died the following year and the team was turned over to Tim Whitehead. [3]

Thomas remained under Whitehead for one year before heading to the professional ranks, serving as an assistant for the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the ECHL for two seasons before being promoted to head coach and director of hockey operations for the 2004–05 season. After the 42-win debut, Thomas was offered a position with the Fresno Falcons and moved west to take the job. Thomas continued his success in the ECHL with a 43-win, 100-point season, ending with Fresno reaching the conference finals in 2006. [4] Thomas was able to get the Falcons to reach the playoffs in each of the following two seasons, but in 2008–09, with the economic downturn, Fresno announced that they would cease operations 30 games into the season, ending Thomas' tenure with the team. Thomas did not remain unemployed for long as his former team, since having relocated, offered him the chance to turn around their season and Thomas agreed to take over as head coach for the Stockton Thunder.

With the Thunder, Thomas was able to get the team back on the right track and make the playoffs is his half-season behind the bench. The next year he reached the conference finals for the second time and was finally able to get into the championship series in 2013. With his success at the minor professional level, Thomas was offered the chance to improve the NCAA Division I Alaska-Anchorage, which had not had a winning season in 20 years and agreed to take over from the departed Dave Shyiak. [5] The Seawolves then produced their first above-.500 record since joining the WCHA. The following year saw the team produce 10 fewer wins and the program trended downward, finally bottoming out in 2018 with a record of 4–26–4. After his contract expired, Thomas left the program to return to professional hockey.

On 7 August 2018, he returned to the ECHL and was announced as the new head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones. [6] In his first season in Cincinnati, he led the team the regular season title and won the John Brophy Award for ECHL coach of the year. [7] Prior to the start of the 2021–22 season, head coach Thomas was hired by the AHL's Providence Bruins as an assistant coach. [8]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1993–94 St. Michael's Buzzers MetJHL 46132740110—————
1994–95 RIT ECAC West 2434754—————
1995–96RITECAC West181121324—————
1996–97RITECAC West3012122450—————
1997–98RITECAC West309192826—————
NCAA totals102254772154—————

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (WCHA)(2013–2018)
2013–14 Alaska–Anchorage 18–16–412–12–46th WCHA Semifinals
2014–15 Alaska Anchorage 8–22–45–21–210th
2015–16 Alaska Anchorage 11–20–38–18–29th
2016–17 Alaska Anchorage 7–21–66–16–610th
2017–18 Alaska Anchorage 4–26–44–21–310th
Alaska Anchorage:48–105–2135–88–17
Total:48–105–21

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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References

  1. ↑ Bruins, Providence. "PROVIDENCE BRUINS HIRE MATT THOMAS AS ASSISTANT COACH | Providence Bruins". www.providencebruins.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  2. ↑ "RIT Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  3. ↑ "Walsh Memorial". USA Today. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  4. ↑ "2005–06 ECHL Standings". Hockey DB. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  5. ↑ "Alaska-Anchorage Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Thomas Named Cyclones Head Coach". OurSportsCentral.com. 7 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "CINCINNATI'S THOMAS RECEIVES JOHN BROPHY AWARD AS ECHL COACH OF THE YEAR". ECHL. 9 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "Cyclones Head Coach Matt Thomas Promoted to AHL". OurSports Central. 30 August 2021.
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