Scott Matzka speaks to the Inferno

Scott Matzka joined the Devils for the 2010-11 season as first line centre scoring a whopping 97 points (33 Goals and 64 assists) on a line with Jon Pelle and Max Birbraer in a team that set a world record and came close to both the league and playoff titles. Scott came to the Devils with a wealth of experience in Europe and back home in the states and had some big expectations to live up to in Cardiff, I’m sure you’ll all agree he didn’t disappoint.
I looked around for things that people have said about Scott Matzka looking for some zingy bits to quote and by far and away this is my favourite
 “Good two-way player with all – round skills. Good skater, good shot and good spelförståelse. Can play both centre and outer forward. Good leadership skills…. Aggressive style of play with many expulsions….  Reliable scorer.” (some liberties taken with the quote here all the bits that weren’t needed were removed)
We got Scott these questions just after his return to Cardiff in the off season but due to a busy schedule and a dissertation hand in its rightly taken some time to get his reply, if we could of change one thing  we’d of asked more about his “spelförståelse” that’s for sure..

The Inferno (IF) - What got you started playing hockey in the first place? What age did you start? Have you always played as a forward?

Scott Matzka (SM) - My older brother, Danny played hockey when I was young. I started out skating when I was 3 years old and then I became the mascot for my brother’s team when I was 4. I started playing organized hockey when I was 5 years old and started travel hockey when I was 6. I have always played forward except for a couple games in Denmark when we were short defenseman. It was an experiment that didn’t go that well!

IF- As if you weren't a fan favourite already knocking on the 100pts door and being probably the best centre the Devils have seen in the EIHL era, you cemented your position with the outpouring of passion in the playoff final last year, do we get to find out what it was that you said to Hanson, or at least the child friendly version?

SM- There isn’t much there to be honest with you, just a run of the mill explosion. The frustration was building as we had lost the lead and a penalty that basically sealed the victory for Nottingham really set me off. I just had some harsh words to say to Moray, which he didn’t deserve, however I still feel like at the point in the game, it was a very suspect call.

IF- After the off season shenanigans you described the EIHL as "total bush league" on twitter, what do you think the league, or the clubs need to do, or can do to improve the situation? At the moment the fans seem more clued up on the failings than the people in charge?

SM-  I looked this up today, what I what referring to was the situation in Sheffield where Globke was fired or refused to take a pay cut. It’s an unfortunate situation for sure because he was enrolled in a two year MBA program. There should be a no fire (due to performance) clause for all players offered the MBA program, I think it’s only fair to allow them to finish.

IF- Congratulations are in order here, you're probably the first player ever to get an apology out of Dave Simms, a man many fans in the league love hate, including some of the Steelers fan base. Do comments from people such as him affect how you play the game, or do you just try and ignore everything?

SM- I try not to let anything that is said outside of our room affect me but I didn’t think his comments had any relevance and included references to my family. I’m fair game, but my family is not! Dave is obviously a polarizing figure in British hockey and I think that’s good. He keeps fans talking and guessing what he’s going to say next!

IF -You've been named as an assistant coach alongside Franny for this season, is coaching something you'd like to go into once you hang up your skates, or is this a way to find out if you might want to do it in the future?

SM- I don’t have much interest in coaching at the professional level at this point. I could see myself coaching my son (coming soon!) or daughter someday, but that’s probably it.

IF- In all your years playing, what’s your favourite memory?

SM- My best memory in hockey Is winning the NCAA championship while at the University of Michigan. It was an overtime goal at the Fleet Centre (TD Bank now??) in Boston to beat Boston College. What more could you ask for?!

IF - Looking forward to playing against your old line mate Mr Pelle? Have you had a situation like this before in your career?

SM - I am looking forward to seeing Pelle, not playing against him! He’s become a good friend over the past year and everyone will miss him in Cardiff this season. I will try and shut him down when we play them in a couple weeks and hopefully get a beer or two with him after the game. I’ve played against former line mates before but none of them had become as good of friends as Pelle. It will be weird seeing him in another jersey for sure.

IF - Do you follow an NHL team?

SM- I’ve been a Detroit Red Wings fan most of my life. They are a great organization and do everything the right way. They have a great owner, fan base and a bunch of great Europeans!

IF - Where do you think the British leagues focus their future development plans? Do you have any thoughts on Import levels? What should GB hockey do to improve?

SM - As Britain becomes a bigger player on the international stage and the development of its youth players continues, the import level could drop. I’m on the fence on this issue as some people think you need imports to keep the quality up, but really there has been a time when there were 2 imports (I think) and the hockey might have been the most exciting ever. It would be better to have 6 quality imports vs. 2 good and 8 mediocre imports. It should be about giving each team the ability to compete on a somewhat level playing field, which includes a salary cap AND a salary floor.

 IF- Who’s the best forward you’ve played on a line with and against?

SM - The best forward I’ve played against would either be Joe Thornton or Dany Heatley. The best forward I’ve played with is Andy Hilbert.

IF - How did you find the transition from Europe to the Uk after a few years away from the similar style of play in NA?

SM - I didn’t find the transition that difficult. I would say the style of play here is closer to Europe than in North America. While there is more hitting and obviously fighting in the UK than in mainland Europe, the majority of the players that are playing here don’t run around hitting everything that moves like they do at home. There are a few exceptions of course. Hitting and fighting are an exciting aspect of the sport and there is a good mix of it here in the UK.

IF - How off putting to players is the Big Blue Tent? Did you know about it before you signed ? Have the Facilities ever cost us a signing to your knowledge?

SM - Teams really seem to struggle playing in our rink. That likely has to do with a couple of factors. We play better at home and teams typically play worse on the road. Combine that with the smaller ice and Brad Voth running amok and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of Cardiff wins at home! I did not know anything about the facilities before I signed and although I like playing there now (minus the horrible ice), I’m glad I didn’t. It would have ruined that initial WTF moment!

IF - Which one current player in the British leagues (Brit or import) would you like to have playing with you in Cardiff?

SM - Jon Pelle, of course!

IF - Is there a feeling of unfinished business from last season for the team?
SM - It’s a new team and a new year. We have our own story to write over the 7 months.

We’d like to thank Scott for taking the time to out to share with us some insight into his last year with the Devils and the season to come.