More than a career and more than a sport, hockey has always been a way of life for Matt.

“My dad was a high-school coach, and I never dreamed of playing in the NHL or even college hockey,” Matt remarks. “I wanted to be a Spud when I was growing up. That was the ultimate.”

His dad coached him, his 2 younger brothers and is now helping Matt coach his kids.

“Growing up, playing hockey was all I ever wanted to do,” Matt explains. “When you’re done playing, you look back, and you realize how fortunate you were to do what you dreamed of. Not many people get to do that. So, I realize I’m pretty lucky, and I’m grateful for it. It was a great run.”

While technically retired, Matt hasn’t hung up his skates – and he’s not taking it easy.

“I’m helping to coach my kids’ hockey. I’m building a backyard rink for the first time at home. It’s nice to be able to take a bigger role in the family life, be here for the kids’ hockey and be involved in their school – things I haven’t really had the time or opportunity to be around,” he says. “In the past, we’d get to come home for a couple of months, and then we’d have to leave again for hockey season. Family is really important to me, so being able to be home and spend time with my young family has been really rewarding.”

Matt also spends about a week a month working with the Pittsburgh Penguins to stay involved with the team and learn the coaching and management side of the game to see if that might be a fit down the road. Additionally, Matt and his wife, Bridget, are spending more time on the organization they founded to help children dealing with health issues.

“We actually launched a new initiative through Cully’s Kids called Project Grace that’s a way to reach out a little bit more directly to individuals,” Matt explains. “When we find out about a child who needs help, we can buy them whatever they need, whether it’s a wheelchair bike or something not covered by insurance. Bridget and I grew up here. We have family here. We both really want to make a difference in the community. We feel like we’ve been given more than we deserve in life, so we just kind of feel pushed to do a little something special for kids who are going through some tough times.”

His passion for paying it forward is a big reason Matt has teamed up with Bell Bank – as a customer and “champion.” As part of our Bell Bank Champion program, Matt will help spread our mission of working to improve people’s lives, and we will work with him on his philanthropic projects.

An example of the partnership’s power is when we were able to work together to treat families of kids dealing with health issues to a VIP experience at an NHL game.

“There’s a lot of parallels between Bell’s Pay It Forward program and what we’re doing with Cully’s Kids,” Matt notes. “I appreciate the way they aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd and get out there and make a difference. It’s not easy, so I really appreciate that and respect that. Our values really line up, and it has made a really good fit.”

Matt also appreciates the customer service he receives when he banks at Bell.

“The quality and character of your people are what kind of define you as an organization, and I think that going in to Bell you see that, and I think that’s what kind of sets them apart,” he comments. “It’s a place where you enjoy going. If you’re dealing with people you enjoy being with and you trust, that’s all I’m really looking for in a bank, and Bell definitely exceeds that.”