Matt Ellison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt Ellison
Born	(1983-12-08) December 8, 1983 (age 41) Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Chicago Blackhawks Philadelphia Flyers Dinamo Riga HC MVD Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod EHC Biel KHL Medveščak Zagreb HC Dinamo Minsk Metallurg Magnitogorsk
NHL Draft	128th overall, 2002 Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career	2003–2019

Matt Ellison (born December 8, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger. Matt was chosen by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. This is like a special lottery where professional teams pick young players to join their clubs.

Ellison played for the Blackhawks' minor league teams and had a couple of chances to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), which is the top hockey league in North America. Later, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2005. After another trade to the Nashville Predators in 2007, he played for their minor league team before moving to Europe in 2008. He became well-known for playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), a major hockey league in Europe and Asia.

Matt Ellison's Hockey Journey

Matt Ellison started his hockey journey with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. This was a junior hockey team in the BCHL. He joined them in the 1999–2000 season. In his first year, he was named the team's Co-Rookie of the Year.

He played for the Capitals for three years. During this time, he earned many awards. He was the team's Three Star Award winner and MVP. He also led the team in scoring points twice. He scored 66 points in the 2000–01 season and an amazing 117 points in 2001–02.

Joining the NHL Teams

After his success in junior hockey, Matt was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. This happened in the fourth round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 128th player picked overall.

Next, he played for the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL during the 2002–03 season. After that, he moved to the Norfolk Admirals in the AHL for the 2003–04 season. He played two seasons with the Admirals. Then, he was called up to play for the Blackhawks in the 2005–06 season.

Matt Ellison playing for Torpedo in 2010.

On December 5, 2005, Matt was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He spent most of his time in Philadelphia playing for their minor league team, the Philadelphia Phantoms. On June 4, 2007, he was traded again, this time to the Nashville Predators.

Playing in Europe

On July 4, 2008, Matt Ellison signed a one-year contract to play in Latvia. He joined the Dinamo Riga team in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In the 2008–09 season, he scored 39 points in 55 games. This made him the second-highest scorer for Riga.

On August 4, 2009, he signed another contract with a KHL team, HC MVD. After playing three successful seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Matt left the KHL for a short time. He signed a one-year contract with a Swiss club, EHC Biel, on June 26, 2013. This team played in the NLA, Switzerland's top league.

However, Ellison soon returned to the KHL. He played for KHL Medveščak Zagreb in the 2013–14 season. In 2014, he signed a two-year contract with Belarusian club, HC Dinamo Minsk. He started playing for them in the 2014–15 season.

After three great seasons with Minsk, where he was the team's top scorer in his last two years, Ellison became a free agent. On June 7, 2017, he signed a big two-year contract with a larger Russian club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He finished his professional career in 2019.

Awards and Honours

Matt Ellison received several awards during his hockey career.

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Spengler Cup
Gold	2015 Davos