Matt Ellis (ice hockey)

Matt Ellis
Ellis with the Sabres in 2012.
Born	August 31, 1981 (1981-08-31) Welland, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Buffalo Sabres Los Angeles Kings Detroit Red Wings
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2003–present

Matt Ellis (born August 31, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres.

Professional career

Minor league hockey

Ellis started play in the OHL with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in 1998. He quickly learned the speed and style of the game, as he started producing goals and assists right away. Each year with the Majors saw Ellis improving his point totals, from 18 the first year, onto 35, 45, and finishing with 38 goals and 51 assists for 89 total points in his final year with Toronto, helping them with the Central Division title.

The Detroit Red Wings came calling and signed Ellis as a free agent on May 10, 2002. He was sent to play on the Wings' farm team the Toledo Storm in the ECHL where he posted 59 points in the regular season and tacked on eight points in the Storms' short playoff run.

Reaching the AHL

In the following season, Ellis was quickly brought up to the AHL to join the Grand Rapids Griffins and tallied his first AHL point on October 24, 2003, with an assist on the game-winning goal versus the Utah Grizzlies. Ellis again took time to adjust to the faster pace but soon found his place with the team. Each year his point totals went up and in the 2005–06 season, Ellis was named captain; the youngest captain ever in Griffins' history. This gave him the needed confidence to continue his growth as a player, which Ellis summed up when he had this to say about his captaincy:

"It’s definitely a big factor. You can totally tell the difference when there’s a guy out there playing with confidence and when a guy’s unsure of himself. Being a fourth-year pro, it makes a huge difference. Each year, you come in with a little more confidence, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by some great players and coaches who were there to give me a pat on the back or help me out and keep me motivated."

When asked about the chance to play for the Red Wings, Ellis said:

"I’m hoping. Grand Rapids is a great place to learn and develop, but I’d like to get my feet wet in Detroit – for sure."

Detroit Red Wings

Ellis made his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings on December 18, 2006, in a 4–3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Los Angeles Kings

Ellis was claimed off of waivers by the Los Angeles Kings on February 21, 2008. He scored his first goal with the Kings, an empty-net goal, on March 13, 2008, against the Nashville Predators at Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Buffalo Sabres

Ellis was claimed off of waivers by the Buffalo Sabres on October 1, 2008. He played his first game with the team on October 15 against the New York Rangers. On December 18, 2008, after injuries to forwards on the Sabres, Ellis was recalled for the second time this season.

Matt Ellis re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres inking a one-year contract on July 9, 2009.

Matt Ellis re-signed with the Buffalo Sabres, inking another one-year contract on his birthday - August 31, 2010.

On October 4, 2010, the Buffalo Sabres placed Ellis on waivers, which he cleared.

He currently plays for the Buffalo Sabres.

On July 19, 2011, Ellis signed a multi-year contract with the Sabres.

Awards and achievements

• 2004–05: Matched a Grand Rapids Griffins record with four shorthanded goals giving him the nickname "shorty"
• 2004–05: First player in Griffins history to score two shorthanded goals in a home game. (March 12, 2005 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs)
• 2005–06: Named youngest captain in Grand Rapids Griffins' history

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998–99	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		47	10	8	18	6		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		59	15	20	35	20		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		68	21	24	45	19		18	4	8	12	6
2001–02	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		66	38	51	89	20		15	8	6	14	6
2002–03	Toledo Storm	ECHL		71	27	32	59	34		7	3	5	8	0
2003–04	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		64	5	10	15	23		4	0	0	0	2
2004–05	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		79	18	23	41	59		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		74	20	28	48	61		16	4	1	5	20
2006–07	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		65	26	23	49	44		7	4	3	7	4
2006–07	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		16	0	0	0	6		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		35	2	4	6	12		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		19	1	1	2	14		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		45	7	5	12	12		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Portland Pirates	AHL		12	2	2	4	4		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		72	3	10	13	12		3	1	0	1	0
2010–11	Portland Pirates	AHL		52	10	21	31	12		11	1	5	6	4
2010–11	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		14	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	0
NHL totals				201	13	20	33	56		4	1	0	1	0

External links

• Matt Ellis's NHL player profile
• Matt Ellis's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database