Denton Mateychuk

Denton Mateychuk
Born (2004-07-12) July 12, 2004
Dominion City, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team Columbus Blue Jackets
National team  Canada
NHL draft 12th overall, 2022
Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career 2024–present

Denton Mateychuk (born July 12, 2004)[1] is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted twelfth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2022 NHL entry draft.[2][3]

Playing career

Following his selection at the draft, Mateychuk was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13, 2022.[4]

During the 2023–24 season, his final year in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Mateychuk had 17 goals and 58 assists in 52 games, leading all league defencemen in points per game. He received the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL's choice for best defenceman,[5] and was later named to the Canadian Hockey League's First All-Star Team.[6] In the postseason, he led the Warriors on a deep run to the WHL Finals, where they swept the Portland Winterhawks to claim the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Mateychuk had 11 goals and 19 assists in 20 playoff games, and was named WHL Playoff MVP.[7] As WHL champions, the Warriors then played at the 2024 Memorial Cup. Mateychuk was given the George Parsons Trophy as the tournament's most sportmanslike player, and was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.[8] Following the Memorial Cup, he was called up to make his professional debut with the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL Calder Cup playoffs, playing games in the Eastern Conference Final against the Hershey Bears.[9]

Mateychuk began the 2024–25 season with the Monsters, appearing in 27 games, and in that span registering 9 goals and 16 assists.[10] He was called up to make his NHL debut on December 23, 2024, thereafter appearing in 45 of the Blue Jackets' final 48 games of the NHL season and logging the second-most icetime for rookie defencemen over that span.[11] He recorded his first assist on December 31 against the Carolina Hurricanes, and scored his first goal on January 9 against the Seattle Kraken. Following the team's failure to qualify for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, Columbus returned him to the Monsters for the Calder Cup playoffs.[12] After his first full professional season, Mateychuk was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.[11]

Personal life

Mateychuk and Owen Pickering are second cousins and were both selected in the first round of the 2022 NHL entry draft.[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2019–20 Eastman Selects MU18HL 301317300 61232
2019–20 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 71120 —————
2020–21 Steinbach Pistons MJHL 81234 —————
2020–21 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 162798 —————
2021–22 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 6513516415 1019102
2022–23 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 638576528 103580
2023–24 Moose Jaw Warriors WHL 5217587531 201119302
2023–24 Cleveland Monsters AHL ————— 40330
2024–25 Cleveland Monsters AHL 279162510 53254
2024–25 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 45491320 —————
2025–26 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 751318318 —————
NHL totals 12017274428 —————

International

Year Team Event Result GPGAPtsPIM
2021 Canada U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 30000
2024 Canada WJC 5th 50440
2026 Canada WC 8th 102354
Junior totals 80440
Senior totals 102354

Awards and honours

Award Year Ref
CHL
First All-Star Team 2024 [6]
George Parsons Trophy 2024 [8]
Memorial Cup All-Star Team 2024 [8]
WHL
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy 2024 [5]
Ed Chynoweth Cup champion 2024 [7]
WHL Playoff MVP 2024 [7]
NHL
All-Rookie Team 2025 [11]

References

  1. ↑ "Denton Mateychuk at eliteprospects.com". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Blue Jackets select Denton Mateychuk 12th overall in NHL Entry Draft". NBC4 WCMH-TV. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Bailey (July 8, 2022). "Who is Denton Mateychuk, the Blue Jackets' pick at 12th overall in the 2022 NHL draft?". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  4. ↑ "CBJ sign Jiricek and Mateychuk to three-year, entry-level contracts". Columbus Blue Jackets. July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Dankochik, Cassidy (May 15, 2024). "Denton Mateychuk named WHL's top defenseman". The Carillon. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Séguin, Christopher (June 2, 2024). "CHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Newland, Jason (May 16, 2024). "Columbus Prospect Denton Mateychuk Wins WHL Playoff MVP". The Hockey News. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 Séguin, Christopher (June 3, 2023). "Spirit win their first-ever CHL championship title by defeating the Knights 4-3 in the final of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ Palmer, Randy (June 8, 2024). "Warriors' Mateychuk makes AHL debut, back on ice in Game 6 with Cleveland". sasktoday.ca. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Forwards Luca Del Bel Belluz, Trey Fix-Wolansky, defenseman Denton Mateychuk named to North Division roster for 2025 AHL All-Star Classic". Cleveland Monsters. January 8, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 "NHL announces 2024-25 All-Rookie Team". NHL.com. June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Blue Jackets loan Jet Greaves, Denton Mateychuk to Cleveland". NHL.com. April 17, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  13. ↑ Sawatzky, Mike (July 6, 2022). "Family affair for Manitoba prospects". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved July 13, 2022.