Saginaw, Mich. – Denton Mateychuk has a knack for raising his game to another level when the team needs it the most.
The Moose Jaw Warriors’ captain has done it once again during the round robin at the 2024 Memorial Cup, presented by Dow.
Mateychuk currently leads the tournament in scoring with three goals and seven points through three games.
“It’s a new experience for all of us and we’re just trying to soak it all in and learn as much as we can,” Mateychuk said.
Mateychuk rose to the occasion with the Warriors’ season on the line on Tuesday, scoring a goal and three points in the 5-3 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs to close out the round robin.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect helped set up Aiden Ziprick’s shorthanded game winner with just over 1:30 to play in regulation.
He said the Warriors have done a good job of staying positive throughout the tournament.
“You have to give yourself a chance to win that game, however it has to be, and we’ve done that so far and we’re just going to keep that going,” Mateychuk said.
“You have to stay positive, you can’t get down on yourself, even after two loses, it doesn’t matter, we just needed to get that one [win], so we could get into the semifinals where we’d have a matchup against one of those teams and we knew if we did that, we’d have a chance.”
The Warriors will now get a shot at the two teams that they lost to earlier in the tournament as they prepare to take on Saginaw in the semifinals on Friday. A win would set up a rematch with London in the final.
Moose Jaw lost 5-4 to both teams in their first two round robin games at the Memorial Cup.
“We’ve played them now once and we know they’re a good team, but if we play our game for 60 minutes, we’re going to give them a good test,” Mateychuk said.
“A big thing for us is staying consistent and sustaining that pressure.”
Through the round robin, Mateychuk felt the Warriors were never able to play their best for a full game.
“Overall, we haven’t got to that level that we want to be at and sustained it,” he said.
“It starts with our start, when we get off to a good start, we get into it and we keep that level. It starts with making a simple play and getting a puck deeper or getting a puck out off the glass instead of playing in the defensive zone, that’s going to be really important.”
Since securing their spot in the semifinal, the Warriors have had a couple of days to rest up and refocus for the matchup with the Spirit.
Mateychuk said that’s included enjoying the time away from the rink.
“We’re in a beautiful little city in Frankenmuth and they’ve got a little mini-golf course at our hotel, the guys have been down there like two times a day and it’s good to get your mind off the game a little bit and just reset,” he said.
The Warriors captain gave credit where credit is due that one of his teammates has been cleaning up on the greens.
“It hurts me to say it, but I’d probably have to say [Jagger Firkus],” he said. “He’s put up a couple of good rounds.”
Mateychuk and the Warriors have been focused on winning on the ice, but also soaking in what the Memorial Cup has to offer, which he said will help them on the ice heading into potentially two winner-take-all games over the weekend.
“Hanging out with the guys, watching the other games, that’s huge to just soak it all in and realize what’s at stake here and what opportunity we have to do something really special this weekend,” he said.
The Warriors will face the host Saginaw Spirit in the semifinal on Friday at the Dow Event Center. The winner advances to the final to take on the London Knights on Sunday.