Matthew Knies
American ice hockey player (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matthew Michael Knies[1] (/naɪz/ NYZE;[2] born October 17, 2002) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Knies was drafted 57th overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL entry draft.
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| Matthew Knies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Knies (right) chasing down Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Seattle Kraken in 2024 | |||
| Born |
October 17, 2002 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 227 lb (103 kg; 16 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| National team |
 United States | ||
| NHL draft |
57th overall, 2021 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| Playing career | 2023–present | ||
Playing career
Junior
Knies played two full seasons for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he recorded 31 goals and 56 assists in 90 games. Knies was drafted in the second round, 57th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.[3]
College
Beginning his collegiate career, Knies first played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the 2021–22 season.[4] During his freshman season, he ranked tied for third on the team, and first among freshman, with 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 29 games. Following an outstanding season, he was a unanimous pick for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and was named a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.[5]
The 2022–23 season saw further success for Knies, notably playing on a top line with fellow NHL prospects Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud that was considered one of the best in college ice hockey. He scored 21 goals and 21 assists in 40 games.[6][7] He won the Big Ten Player of the Year award, and was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in American college ice hockey, with Cooley also one of the three.[8][9] The Golden Gophers reached the national championship game at the 2023 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, but ultimately were defeated by the Quinnipiac Bobcats in overtime.[10] Following the tournament, he decided to conclude his collegiate career, finishing with 36 goals and 39 assists in 73 career games.[11]
Professional
On April 9, 2023, Knies signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs.[12][7] Upon his arrival in Toronto, he was hosted by team captain John Tavares at his house.[13] Knies made his NHL debut on April 10, in a road game against the Florida Panthers.[11] After playing in the final three games of the regular season, Knies continued with the team into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. He notably had a primary assist on Tavares' series-clinching goal in Game 6 that saw the Maple Leafs win their first playoff series since 2004.[14] The Maple Leafs faced the Panthers in the second round, and Knies scored his first career NHL goal against Sergei Bobrovsky in the opening game of the series on May 2.[15] He exited Game 2 after being concussed by Panthers forward Sam Bennett, and it was subsequently announced that he would miss at least the next two games.[16] On December 16, 2023, Knies achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick in a 7–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He opened the scoring and fought John Ludvig within the game's first five minutes and assisted on Max Domi's goal in the second period.[17][18]
On January 4, 2025, Knies recorded his first career hat-trick in a game against the Boston Bruins.[19][20]
International play
Knies represented the United States at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he appeared in one game before the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21][22]
On January 13, 2022, Knies was named to the United States men's national ice hockey team's roster to compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[23]
Personal life
Knies was born to Miroslav and Michaela Knies, who immigrated to the United States from Slovakia before his birth. He has an older brother, Phillip, who played ice hockey for Miami University and Bentley University. Knies is fluent in Slovak, which he uses to speak to his grandparents. Growing up in Arizona, he was a fan of the Arizona Coyotes.[24][25][26]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2018–19 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 44 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 44 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 33 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | University of Minnesota | B1G | 40 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 45 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 43 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 161 | 44 | 50 | 94 | 90 | 27 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 12 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | United States | OG | 5th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2022 | United States | WJC | 5th | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Senior totals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Big Ten Freshman Team | 2022 | [27] |
| All-Big Ten Second Team | 2022 | |
| Big Ten Player of the Year | 2023 | [28] |
| All-Big Ten First Team | 2023 | |
| AHCA West First Team All-American | 2023 | [29] |