March 25, 2011
Delbarton defenseman shows upward mobility
by Kirk Luedeke/NYHJ Writer
Delbarton School defenseman Matt Killian’s stock is trending upward.
The Green Wave’s captain and native of Basking Ridge, N.J., is wrapping up an excellent season and was the 77th-ranked North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting Service’s midterm list released in January. While some, including his coach at Delbarton, Bruce Shatel (Morris Plains, N.J.), believe that his spot in the rankings doesn’t reflect the two-way blueliner’s upside, Killian travels the high road these days.
“It’s an honor to be ranked,” he told New York Hockey Journal after wrapping up 10-0 defeat of Seton Hall Prep last month. “It’s great for me. I think I can definitely improve on that, improve on my game.”
Killian possesses good size at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, and is a good skater, with strong four-way directional mobility and a willingness to jump up into the play. He moves the puck up and out of his own zone quickly and uses his excellent lateral agility to be an effective power play quarterback along the point. He’s got the vision and intelligence to be a stalwart at the next level — he’s committed to Yale University next season — and beyond.
Killian’s five goals and 22 points in the same amount of games lead all Delbarton defensemen, and he is fourth overall on the team in scoring.
“He’s got tremendous composure on and off the ice,” Shatel said. “His skating ability is super; it’s one of his plus-tools along with his stick. He’s 6-2, 190 pounds, but his stick is as good as they come. He wins 95 percent of 50-50 battles.“
Shatel credits the work Killian did with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., earlier this season with the composed, consistent effort throughout. Killian took an eight-week leave of absence and was home-schooled in order to maintain his academic standing while competing in the USHL and against NCAA programs with the U.S. Under-18 squad.
“He was able to keep up with the rigors of the curriculum while he was on the road,” Shatel said. “He was exposed to the best of the best of what the country has to offer in terms of the schedule the development program has. I think all the feedback I’ve gotten from his performance out there is that he did very well. It’s a situation that benefits everybody.”
Killian acknowledges that the higher level of play than he is used to at Delbarton took some getting used to, but it did wonders for his own confidence to not only excel in his final season but also in what he’ll face in ECAC Hockey next season.
“It was awesome,” he said, of the opportunity to skate for coach Ron Rolston and Team USA. “There were great players out there, a great coaching staff and obviously it was a great experience playing out in the USHL and some college teams — that was definitely an eyeopening experience.”
With the way he’s managed to keep things simple while making a difference offensively for his team, Killian is enjoying a bump in interest and renewed confidence after the beginning of his season at Delbarton didn’t measure up to his own standards.
“I thought the first half of the year was so-so,” he said. “I think I can do better than I have been. So (I need to),
finish strong the rest of the year and hopefully we can win something as a team.”
Scouts agree that Killian had some rough patches earlier in the year, but has come on of late.
“I saw him in New England earlier and thought he was thinking too much and trying too hard,” said an NHL scout for a Western Conference team. “He had a better run in Minnesota against some pretty good competition and was effective at using his mobility at both ends of the ice. There’s some upside with him, but the level of competition is going to factor into where he goes (in the draft).”
With his high school career coming to a close, Killian looks forward to taking his game to New Haven, Conn., and the Ivy League, which is something he always aspired to do. The Bulldogs won out over Dartmouth and Princeton for his services, but Killian feels strongly about getting quality schooling to go with the hockey.
“It’s a great education and the hockey program is on the rise,” he said. “(Yale) is having a good year. I like the way they play -- fast-paced, quick transition and they put the puck in the net. I thought it was an exciting way to play and that it would fit my game, personally.”
Killian may find that his game fits well with an NHL team that is willing to invest some time and patience for a potentially good payoff down the road come June.
Kirk Luedeke can be reached at feedback@nyhockeyjournal.com
