The combination of skill and grit is a player trait that every coach loves. When a player has the ability to create their own space and then take advantage of that space. Our latest Local Lion has that combination and the Kings will be excited to get Matty Greening from Dauphin into their line up.
Last season Greening starred for the AAA Midget Parkland Rangers. In 42 games, the Rangers Co-Captain had 57 points including 23 goals. In 118 games at the AAA Midget level, Greening totalled 106 points including 43 goals. Greening also added 2 points in 3 career games as an AP with the Kings. Another stat line that stands out for Greening is the 354 penalty minutes Greening picked up playing for the Rangers.
“Matty is an intense competitor.” stated Kings Assistant Coach Marc Berry. “He has a great offensive skill set and he hates to lose. He’s a player that fits in perfectly with our team culture. Matty isn’t a big guy but makes up for it with a fearless approach. We actually wanted him in the line up last season but Matty wanted to be a part of the Rangers team that hosted the Telus Cup Regionals. It was a decision we respected and now we are looking forward to having him with us full time.”
Greening being from Dauphin grew up eating the Kings and it comes as no surprise that his favourite player growing up was of a similar make up.
“Ryan Dreger” says Greening. “He was a hometown kid that maybe didn’t have the greatest size. That didn’t seem to slow him down, he stilled scored and had a very successful career.”
Coming out of AAA Midget as a 17 year old, Greening was a highly touted prospect. The Kings held his MJHL rights having made him one of their auto protected players in 2012, but by CJHL rules, he was eligible to look at other options in other leagues. In the end, Greening decided to play close to home.
“I want to play elite hockey and by playing with the Kings, I can play with one of Canada’s top teams and still be close to home.” stated Greening. “It’s a good team, a good coaching staff and all in front of a great fan base.”
Away from the rink, the son of Larry Greening and Simone Greening enjoys playing other sports. His favourite NHL team is the Edmonton Oilers and his favourite player is former 2011 first overall pick, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Greening wears number 23 and his favourite colour is blue. The best movie Greening has seen lately is “The Book of Eli”
Steak or Chicken – Steak
Coke or Pepsi – Coke
Golf or Lake – Lake
iPhone or Blackberry – iPhone
TSN or Sportsnet – TSN
Country or Rock – Country
Magazine or Book – Magazine
Call or Text – Text
Burger or Hot Dog – Burger
This brings our Local Lion feature to an end. In the past 4 months, we have featured 16 current or potential Kings. That translates to 32% of the Dauphin Kings 50 man protected list. You can see all 16 players take the ice starting September 4th as the Kings open their Main Camp for the 2015-2016 season. Don’t miss the JoFo Cup IntraSquad game on Sunday, September 6th! The exhibition season starts Monday, September 7th at 7:00pm as the Kings will be home to the Swan Valley Stampeders.