Almost every little boy grows up wanting to play hockey.  Whether it’s on a team, just for fun or professionally, almost every little boy will dream.

            For Matthew Haig Kelly this dream came true.

            Born in Brampton, Ontario on March 23, 1985 Kelly had a normal childhood.  According to his mother, Sharon, Kelly was very athletic and highly regarded as a team player by many of his coaches.

            “As a kid Matt was very shy but still had a lot of friends,” said Sharon. “But Matt never wanted to stand out; he just wanted to fit in.”

            Upon moving to Tottenham, a small town in the south Simcoe area near Barrie, Kelly’s parents enrolled him in kindergarten at the Tottenham Public School.

            “He was very academically inclined,” said Sharon.  “Matt was able to learn and remember new material taught to him fairly easily.  His Grade 3 teacher once said to be academically inclined as well as to have high athletic ability was a rare quality to find at such a young age."

            While Kelly was little, his older and only sister Laura, taught him to skate at the local arena.  He then got into figure skating himself.  The figure skating helped Kelly improve on his basic skating skills and then at the age of four he started playing hockey.

            Although Kelly says he isn’t 100 per cent sure why he got into hockey he knew he loved it.

            “Hockey is such a great game to play,” said Kelly.  “ I love the speed of the game and how it is played at such a high tempo.  I also like being able to take your aggression out on the ice by throwing a nice body check.”

            During the summers Kelly played with friends and went to hockey training camps to improve some aspects of his playing.  During the school year he proudly represented his public school on the boys basketball and volleyball teams.

            Kelly stayed at the Tottenham Public School until his Grade 8 graduation where he went on to spend his high school years at St. Thomas Aquinas.

            Again, Kelly represented his high school on the men’s volleyball and basketball teams - even his favourite subject in school was gym.

            “My favourite activity is sports,” said Kelly.  “Whether it was playing hockey, basketball, or volleyball I always liked being part of a team and staying in shape.”

            During his high school years Kelly maintained a job working at a local gas station.  He worked there for almost three years but ended up leaving the job when he moved out to Belleville to play with the Belleville Bulls in the Ontario Hockey League.

            Kelly first played for the Bulls in the 2002-2003 season.  According to Assistant Coach of the Bulls, Jake Grimes, Kelly was found playing Junior C hockey near Tottenham. He then walked onto the team midway through the season. He and one of his teammates, Cody Thornton, moved in together with billet family Rob and Irene Cooke.

            “We have both been here for three years now,” said Kelly.  “It was a little weird at first, living with new people but now they’re like family.”

            “Moving away from home at the age of 16 and living with such a great family as the Cooke's has had a very positive effect on Matt,” said Sharon.  “Of course promotional work, being involved in the community with the Bulls has helped as well.”

            Being drafted by the Bulls was a major moment in Kelly’s career.

            “It’s very special for me to be playing for the Bulls,” he said. “I never thought I would be playing hockey at this level and I am just tying to savour it while it lasts.”

            “After Matt signed with the Bulls, and left for Belleville for the first game (which we were able to attend) it really sank in that he had taken the next step in hockey,” said Sharon.  “When we watched him in that first game we couldn't have been prouder of him.”

            When Kelly began with the Bulls he was one of the team’s forwards.  One season later the Bulls were looking for a defenseman and Kelly stepped up to the challenge.

            “It’s amazing for a player like Matt who has already established his position to switch like that at an older age,” said Grimes.  “Kids can do it when they’re younger but you don’t often see it happen when they’re this far in their career.”

            Not only did Kelly switch positions later in his career but according to Grimes he also did an excellent job at it.

            “He’s gotten more points as a defenseman, he’s our number two defensive player on the team,” said Grimes. “He did what he had to do for the team, not thinking of himself, and he’s done a great job at it.”

            Kelly promises he plays hockey for fun not for fame and he still looks fondly on his childhood highlights.

            “I was asked to the Under-17 Canadian tryouts,” said Kelly. “I was usually the captain of the teams and I led the team in goals or points.  I also remember scoring six goals in one game.”

            As exciting as it must be representing an entire city and playing such a world-renowned sport Kelly said he’s kept his head in the game.

            “Even though there are 3,000 plus fans in the arena, when you are in the game you can’t really hear them,” he said.  “You become so focused on what you are doing on the ice.”

            This season (2004-2005) the Belleville Bulls are seventh in the Eastern Conference with 55 games played, 24 of those games being wins.

            Kelly has had three very good seasons with the Bulls playing over 120 regular season games, scoring more than 9 goals, getting over 20 assists and only 41 penalty minutes.  And unlike most hockey players Kelly has been very lucky when it comes to injuries.

            “I haven’t had any major injuries,” Kelly. “I’ve had two concussions and a dislocated shoulder.”

            When it comes to being ready to thrive in this fast pace game Kelly says it’s all about being the best you want to be.

            "You want to be the best at what you do and I think that in itself keeps me motivated,” said Kelly.  “Knowing that it takes hard work to get where you want to be."

            Currently Kelly is focusing on hockey.  He was enrolled at Loyalist College where he was studying physiology and sociology, but he wanted to do something that still keeps him involved in sports like being a gym teacher.

            “(Matt’s father and I) would love for him to continue in hockey but ultimately it will be his decision,” said Sharon.  “We are very proud of Matt not only for the hockey but the kind of young man that he has grown up to be.  He is honest and a very sincere person to his friends.”

            Grimes agreed with Kelly’s parents.

            “Kelly is our friendly giant.  He’s done so much PR with the bulls and worked with so many kids at our hockey camp,” said Grimes. “He’s our best instructor.  He’s mature and a great teacher as well as communicator.”

            When asked who had the most influence on his life and hockey career Kelly simply answered “my parents”.

            “My dad played himself and he taught me a lot,” said Kelly.  “Both of my parents would always be at the games cheering me on and driving me to and from practices.”
 
 
Will the lockout have an effect on future players?

            On September 9, 2004 the National Hockey League announced there would be no hockey; the players and the league were involved in a dispute that ended in a lockout.

            On Wednesday February 16th, the League announced that the season had ended permanently.  They made it clear that there wouldn’t be any hockey this season at all.

            What effect is this lockout going to have on future NHL player?  Well if it continues players might have to accept lower salaries and the league might have to accept losing money.  Either way, someone’s going to have to bite the bullet.

            No matter what does happen with the lockout, Kelly isn’t worried.
“I don’t really have that much of an opinion of who’s right and who’s wrong,” said Kelly. “But I do think that both sides should just come to an agreement so we can watch hockey again.  I don’t think it will affect my future in hockey, at least I hope it doesn’t.”