North Bay’s Matt Marquardt will be packing his bags in mid August to play hockey overseas for the second time in his career.
Marquardt, who turns 29 next week, has played for nine professional teams since he was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2006.
The power forward has played parts of four seasons with the Florida Everblades of the East Coast Hockey League where he was team captain and accumulated 15 goals along with 30 assists for 45 points in 72 games last year.
“In Florida I got every opportunity to showcase what got me to the pro level, score some goals, play a physical game and evolved into a leader and eventually to a captain which is a huge honour. That’s what made it so hard to leave, it was the most fun I had playing professional hockey was in Florida from top to bottom, it was a first class organization.”
One of those Florida highlights included winning an ECHL title with Florida back in 2012.
While Marquardt loved his time in Florida, he realized it was time to look at the path after hockey.
‘It would nice to be able to play in Florida until in 35 but if I play there until I’m 35 and then I have to re-start and have to pay out of my own pocket,” Marquardt about schooling.
So he elected to take an offer from the Coventry Blaze of the EIHL in England, where he will not only continue to play professional hockey, he will also attend University in Coventry where he will work on his Masters in Sports Management.
“This is just a situation where I can continue to play professional hockey and make a good living at it and get an education,” noted Marquardt.
“You can’t put a price on that. It’s good to invest in yourself and your mind. I was always a really good student. Most teams have two year school packages and with the Coventry Blaze they were able to get me into a Masters program that could be condensed to one if I felt I could handle the workload and I think I can so I am really looking forward to it.
“I couldn’t turn that down as far as an opportunity to transition into life after hockey. Have a really good season and continue my hockey career for as long as I want and then it’s nice to know I have that degree in my back pocket.”
While he only gets to spend summers at home in North Bay, Marquardt admits his hand is always on the pulse of hockey in North Bay. After all, he was the last North Bay player drafted in the NHL draft 2006, that is until two weeks ago when Colton Point was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.
“As soon as I found out that Colton Point was drafted I reached out to him right away and I congratulated him,” said the 2006 Blue Jackets 7th round pick.
“I told him if he was looking for ice we could go on and skate together and get him ready for camp and things like that and it’s so good to see.”
And with that pride for North Bay, Marquardt has admitted that after hockey he would definitely consider trying to get into coaching one day.
“I follow that stuff because I’m really proud to be from North Bay and being from out of their minor hockey system.”
