EXTON, PA -- The Pennsylvania Huntsmen are pleased to announce that Matt Reid has been named Head Coach for their new Junior "A" team, beginning play this September in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL). The Huntsmen are currently playing out their inaugural season of junior hockey at the Junior "B" level in the Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) level, and own are record of 21-12-2 through their first 35 games in franchise history.
Reid, from Messena, NY, has spent the past five seasons coaching for the Team Maryland organization, serving as the Assistant Coach for the EHL team the last two years.
Matt is currently behind the bench for the Midget program, where he has led them to both regular season and playoff championships, and has been the Head Skills Coach for the Maryland Black Bears.
"First, I would just really like to thank Zach [Overholtzer] and Jeff [Grable] for the opportunity to lead this team, it’s inaugural season at the EHL level," said Reid. "Zach has done a great job in his first year and I’m excited about the culture that he has already created and I’m looking forward to creating relationships with the players and Blaise [Kilroy]. We’re looking forward to providing a culture that allows our boys to develop and mature to prepare themselves for the next level."
Matt brings to the Huntsmen an extensive playing career background that began with the US National Team, where he won a silver medal in Japan. Chosen by the Ottawa 67's in the OHL Draft, Matt decided to attend Northwood Prep instead before lacing up for Clarkson University. The center tallied 30 goals and 23 assists in his three seasons with the NCAA D1 program, and finished his time there with an ECAC Championship.
Matt's professional career began in the ECHL, where he played four seasons with the Pee Dee/Florence Pride, as well as four more seasons with the South Carolina Stingrays. He was briefly loaned to the Hershey Bears in the 2006 season, where he picked up three assists in three games.
The final stop of Matt's playing career saw him head overseas to the Netherlands for a season with HYS The Hague. He lit the lamp 17 times and finished with a total of 37 points.
Matt was coached by a number of professional coaches during his career, such as Jack Capuano, Jared Bednar, Davis Payne, Bruce Boudreau, and Ron Rolston, and credits a lot to them.
“Reider takes the Huntsmen to a new level," said Zach Overholtzer, the General Manager of the Huntsmen. "We have a great group overseeing player development here in PA and now we add another piece. His playing and coaching resume speaks for itself. The Huntsmen organization built its foundation on culture and communication – Reider looks to exponentially grow that. I credit Josh Fusco (Team Maryland Head Coach/GM) for the introduction and blessing to speak with Reid. Fusco introduced me to Coach Reid and encouraged me to meet with him. That speaks to the network and working relationship of all organizations in the EHL.”
Overholtzer's excitement is felt equally as much by the organization's President and Owner, Jeff Grable.
“We are looking forward to the next chapter in our program's growth with Reid at the helm of our new flagship team," said Grable. "Coach Reid’s professional coaching and playing experience will further enrich our players development and build on our inaugural season achievements."
In the spring and summer, Matt runs Reider Hockey where he has gained valuable experience placing players into high levels and made relationships with junior and college coaches across the country.