by Joe Flionis | AHL On The Beat
Hockey was always meant to be part of Matt Maggio’s future. Born right into the sport, the Ontario native takes pride in his roots and where he came from.
“I mean, hockey’s everything,” the Bridgeport Islanders rookie said. “I grew up in that hockey culture, it’s everything I’ve ever known. I think that’s kind of how it is in Ontario.”
His father, Rob, was a big influence, helping convey this custom onto his son. A professional strength and conditioning coach, Rob owns a gym that is predicated on training the best athletes, especially hockey players. Even as a child, Matt would always find some way to be involved in the game.
“His gym specialized in hockey training,” Maggio explained. “So growing up, NHL and other pro players were constantly around the facility. I just remember playing mini sticks after their workouts, and they would always come play with me for a bit.”
The New York Islanders’ fifth-round draft pick in 2022 is really beginning to find his stride, opening March with goals in back-to-back games. He has five goals in his last seven games and 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in his last 14, frequently playing alongside fellow Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov.
“I think I’ve just been building confidence and understanding when I can make plays and when I can’t,” Maggio said. “I’m just trying to not focus on the points and just play the right way.”
After recording eight points in his first 30 games of the season and missing small windows of time due to injury, the 21-year-old is now second on the team in goals (12), and tied for sixth in points (20). For most players, adjusting to the AHL level is a big step coming from junior, something that Maggio was well aware of before joining Bridgeport.
“Everyone says this is the biggest jump in hockey that you’re going to make, from junior to pro,” he explained. “The jump from the AHL to the NHL is obviously still a jump, but it’s nothing like this one. I knew that coming in, and the coaches kind of beared with me for a bit.”
“It’s part of the maturation process,” Bridgeport head coach Rick Kowalsky said. “The size, the pace, the physicality. He’s a good kid and he was wants to learn, and his play away from the puck has gotten better. He’s a great student of the game.”
Coming from an incredibly offensive setting in the Ontario Hockey League while captaining the Windsor Spitfires in 2022-23, Maggio knew there would be some growing pains when he came to the Island for training camp. Only a few months prior, he won the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s most outstanding player, and the Eddie Powers Trophy as the league’s top scorer. He led the OHL in goals (54) and points (111) in 66 games with Windsor, and his plus-41 rating was the second-highest in the league.
“I had to learn all new systems,” Maggio said. “I came from a really offensive league, where I kind of had the freedom to do whatever I wanted. Coming here, obviously with the Islanders organization, they play very structured defensively and they go to offense from there. I think that was something throughout the first half that I really had to work on.”
With 47 total AHL games under his belt, it is apparent the pro game has slowed down for Maggio. He continues to gain experience and a better understanding of how to play in the AHL, which began with three appearances at the end of last season, including his professional debut, while playing on an amateur tryout contract.
Maggio’s path to the AHL was unusual, starting off in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s before being traded to Windsor. Maggio’s career, like so many others, hit a speed bump during the 2020 pandemic.
“My first year in Windsor, heading into my draft year, was when Covid happened,” Maggio said. “That put a big dent in things, especially in Canada, so I went to Sweden and played over there for the first time. I played on that bigger ice, and I think that’s where I really found my game again, especially after not playing much my first year (in the OHL). I learned the importance of possessing the puck, playing a possession game, and what worked up against the older guys.
“I came back with a new confidence,” he continued. “And I had great linemates in Windsor with Will Cuylle and Wyatt Johnston, who are having great years in the NHL, and I thought we just hit it off that year. I ended up getting drafted that summer and was thrilled.”
In addition to Cuylle and Johnston, the Bridgeport winger played alongside many other great players, having role models that consistently helped him.
“My first year with the Ottawa 67s, I didn’t play much,” Maggio said. “I was a rookie, and we were a bit of an older team. I had some great guys that I learned from though, and I kind of just took that year to learn. Great players like Marco Rossi, Jack Quinn, Graeme Clarke and Kevin Bahl were on the team, helping me throughout the whole process.”
However, Maggio repeatedly spoke the praises of his biggest role models throughout his career – his mom and dad.
“They’ve been everything,” Maggio preached. “Obviously my dad has been with me every step of the way. He’s worked with NHL’ers for 20 to 30 years, so he knows what it takes to get there. He knows that it’s not just an overnight thing, it’s a process and a journey, and it’s what you do behind the scenes that’s going to help you get there. I think he really gets it.
“My mom, she sacrifices everything,” he continued. “I think moms are kind of the unsung heroes when it comes to getting you to practice, working all day, coming home, making you meals and stuff like that. I’ve just had great support from my family and my faith, and I think that’s what got me here.”
It’s evident that the Maggio family knows there’s more to life than just the game of hockey, instilling important advice on their son.
“They always say that you’re on a journey here in life, so you just want to impact as many people as you can in a positive way,” Maggio said. “I just want to make the fans’ day if I can. Throwing someone a puck or something like that, just trying to make a positive impact.”
