Alex Matthews: My First Money Player

IT WAS 1965 AND WE WERE PLAYING THE SUDDEN DEATH LEAGUE FINAL AGAINST CROSSTOWN RIVAL LOYOLA AT MACDONALD COLLEGE,S ICE BARN" AND I MEAN COLD".

COMING AFTER OUR CINDERELLA YEAR IN 63/64 WHEN WE CAME OUT OF 4TH SPOT TO UPSET EVERYONE AND REACH THE NATIONAL FINAL, WE WERE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TRIP TO THE FINAL FOUR. HOWEVER THE SPEEDY WARRIORS LED BY LEGENDARY COACH JACK KENNEDY TIED THE GAME LATE IN THE THIRD AND LOOKED TO BE GETTING STRONGER WITH EACH SHIFT. WE WENT INTO THE LOCKER ROOM ANTICIPATING A REAL BATTLE IN SUDDEN DEATH OT.......I HAD A 5 OR 10 DOLLER BILL IN MY POCKET AND DURING MY PEP TALK I TOOK IT OUT AND OFFERED IT TO WHOMEVER SCORED THE WINNER.IT DIDN,T TAKE LONG...ON OUR 1ST SHIFT OUT CAGEY ALEX PICKED OFF A LOYOLA DEFENSEMAN,S CLEARING PASS JUST INSIDE THE BLUELINE. HE HAD UNBELIEVABLE ACCURACY AND HIT THE FAR CORNER BEATING THE LOYOLA GOALER CLEANLY. THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS OURS FOR THE 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE GREATEST FAN SUPPORT FOR COLLEGE HOCKEY IN MONTREAL .OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS LOYOLA AND SIR GEORGE PLAYED IN FRONT OF THE LARGEST CROWDS IN CANADA.

ALEX MATTHEWS PLAYED FOR THE GEORGIANS FOR 2 SEASONS AND WAS A MEMBER OF PROBABLY THE GREATEST LINE IN SIR GEORGE HOCKEY. WITH TREVOR KERR AND BOB BERRY THEY DOMINATED EVERY GAME. ALEX WAS CONSIDERED BY MOST OF OUR OPPONENTS AND ESPECIALLY THE WARRIORS OUR MOST DANGEROUS SNIPER. A SMOOTH SKATING RIGHT WINGER HE COULD MAKE THE PUCK DANCE ON HIS STICK . I BELIEVE HIS FAVORITE PLAYER WAS GORDIE HOWE. HE INTRODUCED ME TO BLUE GRASS MUSIC AND FLATT AND SCRUGGS WHO RECORDED FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN " WHICH WAS FEATURED IN THE MOVIE CLASSIC BONNIE AND CLYDE........ALEX MATTHEWS ONE OF THE GREAT PLAYERS IN SIR GEORGE AND CONCORDIA HOCKEY HISTORY....