The Minnesota Magicians are excited to announce that defenseman Joey Matthews has signed a tender agreement with the team for the 2015-2016 season. A native of Columbia, Illinois, Mathews is currently in his fourth year playing with the St. Louis Blues Tier 1 AAA program. Over the previous two seasons, the 5’9” defenseman played in 75 games at the U16 level and collected a total of 33 points. Matthews’ performance on the ice did not go unnoticed, as he was drafted by the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2013.
Of Matthews, Magicians Head Coach Tom Upton said "I have known Joey for a couple years now since we drafted him in Cedar Rapids in 2013. He is a stand up young man who comes from a great family. His ability on the ice speaks for itself as he is one of the top defensemen in the Tier 1 AAA league. He has the ability to play in the USHL and Division 1 hockey and we are extremely proud to sign him to a tender and that he wants to develop and grow as a player and person with our organization."
This season, Matthews is playing with the Major Midget U18 team in St. Louis. He currently has 26 points in 28 games played. The Magicians' regular season concludes on March 28th and will be followed by the first ever playoff appearance for the franchise. Players will begin reporting for 2015/16 at the Magicians’ Pre-Draft Camp at Richfield Ice Arena from May 22-24th, and the team’s Main Camp is scheduled to be held from July 24th-28th at Richfield Ice Arena.