Miko Matikka's North American career started off differently than he'd expected, but he made the most of it.
Now, the Arizona Coyotes prospect has his sights set on helping his collegiate team make history.
Matikka, who just wrapped up his second Coyotes prospect development camp on July 7, had expected to play his first year with the University of Denver in 2022-23, but the Helsinki, Finland native was forced to pivot following eligibility delays with the NCAA. He did all he could in that situation, first joining the USHL's Madison Capitols before a midseason trade sent him to the Waterloo Black Hawks: He notched 35 points in 28 games with the former before recording 11 goals and nine assists in 30 games with the latter, all the while adjusting to the smaller North American sheet of ice.
The experience wasn't an easy one, but it has already paid dividends.
"I feel like it was a great opportunity for me to turn a bad situation into a good one, and it helped me get to know the American style of play," Matikka said. "The first couple of weeks was a bit of a struggle, but after the preseason, I talked a lot with the coaching staff, and they helped me with the American style. They helped me make the jump, and just after the first few games it clicked."
Arizona selected the 6-foot-3 winger 67th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft following standout seasons with Jokerit U20 in Finland's U20 SM-sarja league, the top junior league in the country. His last season there he recorded 19 goals and 14 assists in 30 games, and he also earned a silver medal with Jokerit U16 in 2018-19.
Though his adjustment to the North American sheet of ice was challenging at times, the 19-year-old said the smaller dimensions actually favor his power-forward style of play.
"I honestly feel like the smaller ice sheet is way better for my build and my skillset, so it's a lot of fun playing on the smaller sheet," Matikka said. "I'm super excited to work with David Carle and all of his staff (at Denver). It's a great staff, there are going to be a lot of new things, and I'm going into a loaded team, so I need to earn everything.
"I feel like I'm going to get a lot better."
That's a strong sentiment from Matikka, who shined throughout the week at the Coyotes' prospect development camp. He excelled in the annual black and white scrimmage, scoring once while adding two assists and a shootout goal en route to Team White's 5-4 win.
He said he enjoyed the week with his fellow prospects, both reuniting with fellow 2022 draft picks, as well as meeting the many new faces that were in attendance.
The ability to work with Coyotes coaches and staff who he regularly interacts with, such as Director of Player Development Lee Stempniak and development coaches Nathaniel Brooks and Jeff Shantz, truly made it a special week.
"I'm just trying to absorb as much as I can and ask questions about everything," Matikka said. "There's no good or bad questions, they're always going to help you. I feel like the whole week was a good week. They were hard days, but I feel like I took a lot from it, and next year I'll be even better."
Next year he'll return with a full NCAA season under his belt, from one of the premier college hockey institutions in the United States, no less. The University of Denver's nine Division I championships are matched by just one other institution - the University of Michigan - and the Pioneers last won the title in 2022.
Denver claims NHL alumni such as Paul Stastny, Troy Terry, and the Coyotes' newly-signed forward Jason Zucker.
When asked of his goals for the 2023-24 season, Matikka wasted no time answering.
"I want to win a championship, of course," he said with a smile. "It's a historic program. There are a lot of winners, there's a lot of winning in that environment, and they're trying to win every year. Getting that team to be the first team with 10 championships could be huge.
"Just working towards that as a team is huge, and the team we have, I feel like we have a good shot of accomplishing that."
Regardless of what comes from the upcoming season, though, he will always carry with him the memories from the Coyotes' 2023 development camp.
"There were a lot of new faces, but also a lot of familiar faces, and I just keep getting to know the guys and building relationships that extend outside of the rink and the camp," Matikka said. "It's been a pleasure to be here, and I feel like every year, there are so many memories, and you just take those, think about them later on, and it's something I'll keep with me for the rest of my life."
