When the Belleville Bulls drafted Shawn Matthias as sixth round draft pick in 2003, he weighed 170 pounds. Now with two seasons under his 210-pound frame, the 6-foot-3.5 centre is quickly emerging as one of the “players to watch” in the Ontario Hockey League. Proof of his soaring talents finally took off when he was chosen to represent Team Canada at this year’s Under-18 Championship in Sweden.

Despite only scoring one goal in Canada’s disappointing fourth place finish, Matthias reflected on it as a “great experience.” Though he was a bit surprised with the honour of playing for his country, he made sure to make the best of the opportunity. “It’s something that just helps confidence for next year and it’s just one of those steppingstones to make you a better player,” said Matthias, a Mississauga native. “It was a lot of fun being apart of that team and I look forward to maybe being apart of other Canadian teams.”

But this June, Matthias will have chance to further his legacy at this year’s National Hockey League Draft on June 24 in Vancouver (TSN, 6p.m.). But before making the step to the big show though, Matthias and the rest of world’s best strutted their stuff at this year’s annual NHL Draft Combine. From June 2 to 5, the NHL invited the top 115 draft prospects to Toronto. The four-day proceeding gave NHL clubs a chance to evaluate hockey’s future stars, three weeks prior to the Draft. Scouts, management and athletic trainers of each club were on hand not only to interview the players, but put them through a series of medial examinations and fitness tests.

Matthias, ranked 62nd on the NHL’s final draft eligible list, was one of 23 players from OHL who attended. Teammates John Hughes and Matt Beleskey did, too. “[The Combine] was a pretty intense weekend,” Matthias said, who racked up 34 points (13 goals and 24 assists) in 67 games this season. “You meet with a lot of NHL clubs and do a couple fitness tests. It’s pretty tough; but all together it was a pretty fun weekend.”
With the thought of knowing his draft stock could either enhance or diminish after the tests and meetings in the back of his mind, Matthias said he was working extra hard to gear himself to be in the best shape of his life. “It’s always tough going into a room in front of guys that listen to every word you speak, but definitely the hardest part was the workout that I had to go through. It was pretty extreme.”

The testing portion, which consisted of bench pressing and various strength training exercises, was what Matthias considered as a regular workout. However, there were some bike rides that were pretty killer, he said, and at the time, he wasn’t too happy doing them – they almost made him want to puke. But all together, he thinks he did pretty well. And after hearing what he heard, Matthias says he now has a good idea of what to expect come Draft Day. “It’s great hearing some reports on yourself, some things you can improve on, and where you’re at and where they think you’re going to be in a couple of years,” Matthias said.

Prior to the Combine, Matthias worked with his off-ice trainer and assistant coach, Jason Supryka, to get himself to a level where he has never been before. Supryka, responsible for the Bulls’ in-season and off-season strength and fitness, has noticed Shawn’s vast maturation from a “young teenager’s body into a man’s body. “Shawn knew going into his first year that he would see limited (ice) at times and was fuelled by the will to want to play more,” Supryka said.

While most teenagers will be spending hours on end playing video games and watching TV during the dog days of summer, Matthias looks it as an opportunity to get even better. “Summer is the most important time of the year to get in shape,” Matthias said. Supryka echoed Matthias’ words. “The summer is a great time to re-energize your focus and begin preparation for a new season and a new set of goals. Those players that leave at the end of the season knowing that they have to get stronger can’t wait until July to get started.”
Since Matthias first made his debut in Bulls uniform on October 2, 2004, he’s not only been growing as a player statistically, but his presence and strength on-ice is definitely noticeable. It’s no wonder why he’s teammates call him “Danger” everywhere they go.
“I think as you get older, your body matures a lot more,” Matthias said. “So, I think being in better shape and being stronger does help. When you go into the corners, you come out a lot easier.”

In his first year in Belleville, Matthias only scored once and had one assist in 37 games. This season, he’s started playing a vital important role, as he was promoted to the Bulls’ second power play unit. But, it wasn’t until playoff time when Matthias started making a name for himself. He scored three times in six games against the red-hot Brampton Battalion. The Bulls were eliminated four games to two, in the opening round.
Said Supryka: “Shawn began to reap the rewards of being patient and working hard in the second half of this season more than I think any other player we faced. His confidence level and sense of on-ice maturity is attributed to him knowing that he has done everything in his control to ensure that he is physically and mentally prepared.”

Though he was considered a lightweight when he began his career, Matthias says it’s important for any player coming out of AAA to bulk up. “The guys I find that do the best coming out of AAA and into the OHL are the strongest guys,” he said, “You got to be in the best shape as possible and you can’t be expecting to go in (the OHL) a buck-sixty, 6-foot-4, and expect to be the top player. You got to be strong, you got to fill out, and you got to have some muscle to your body. “(When you’re) playing against 20-year olds, you got to be stronger than them and can’t be tossed around in the corners or else you’re going to have a tough time in this league.” Supryka said: “Those players that are looking to make the jump to the OHL level from Minor Hockey have to learn to be patient like Matthias did. Each and every team has fantastic resources in the way of sport specific conditioning and each up and coming drafted player should take advantage of them.”

Marc Paulichenko writes for Hockey Now