QA with Matt Francis

Forward Matt Francis is currently playing in his second season with the South Surrey Eagles of the BCHL. Not only is he having a great season on the ice with career bests in goals, assists and points, but also his future looks promising as he has a scholarship to play for St. Cloud State (NCAA) next season.

McKeen's: At what age and where did you start playing hockey?

Matt Francis: I started playing hockey at the age of 6 in Newmarket,

Ontario. Two years later I moved to B.C. where I played most of my minor

hockey for Cloverdale.

McKeen's: Who has been the most influential person in your hockey career?

Matt Francis: Without a doubt my father has. He's been behind me all the

way and has always given me the freedom to chose my own path.

McKeen's: Did you always play forward?

Matt Francis: No, it wasn't until half way through my first year of atom

that I started playing forward. Before that I played a couple years of

defense, and a year of goalie.

McKeen's: Who is your favorite NHL player and why?

Matt Francis: Ales Hemsky because every time he is on the ice he stands

out, whether it's making a great pass or dangling through a crowd his

presence is felt by the opposition every shift.

McKeen's: How would you describe yourself as a player?

Matt Francis: I like to think of myself as a hard working 2-way forward

that can see the ice pretty well and I try to be as creative with the puck

as possible. I'm always looking to make something happen.

McKeen's: Is there an area of your game that you have to work on to reach

the next level?

Matt Francis: For sure I'm going to have to get stronger, and

capitalizing on more opportunities to score is going to be a key factor in

how far I go.

McKeen's: What is the highlight of your hockey career so far?

Matt Francis: Definitely the day I committed to St.Cloud. I've always

wanted an NCAA scholarship and when I finally got one it was both a relief

and the best moment of my career to date.

McKeen's: Have you set any personal goals for this season?

Matt Francis: Before the season my goals were to: help my team to win 40

games, score 90 plus points, and get a NCAA scholarship, all of which

still have a good possibility of being reached.

McKeen's: What were your reasons for choosing the BCHL over the WHL?

Matt Francis: Being a smaller player I thought the NCAA game would be

better for my stlye of play. After all each player develops at different

stages of their career and having a degree will certainly help after

hockey.

McKeen's: What have been the biggest adjustments to playing in the BCHL?

Matt Francis: It's a lot faster than junior B, and the players are far

more skilled. The higher you move up, the more critical it becomes that

you don't make mistakes, so the defensive aspect of it all took a while to

get used to.

McKeen's: What player in the BCHL do you respect the most and why?

Matt Francis: Our team captain, Bryce Hollweg. He is a great leader on

and off the ice, and he's one of those players that when he talks everyone

listens. Bryce is one of those guys that you hate to play against, but

you love to have him on your team.

McKeen's: What do you say to critics that say you are too small to play at

the NHL level?

Matt Francis: I say that if you're good enough to play there, then you'll

make it eventually. Guys like Fleury, Briere, Comrie, Drury etc. are all

proving to the world that size is a factor that can be overcome and there

will always be room for the smaller players as long as they can make

things happen out there.

McKeen's: Would you look at playing in Europe after University?

Matt Francis: Yes, I would definitely look into that route. Having

coaches that have played there in the past I've heard good things about

the lifestyle and the hockey over there and playing pro anywhere would be

a dream come true for me.

McKeen's: What major do you plan on taking in University?

Matt Francis: I'm still kind of unsure about that at this present time,

but I'm leaning towards something in the field of business, although I'm

not exactly sure what aspect of business I am looking to take up.

McKeen's: What are your hobbies and what other sports do you play?

Matt Francis: I like to play cards with my friends, or catch a movie. I

also play a lot of golf when the weather is permitting. Other than that

I'm either sleeping, eating or playing hockey all the time.

McKeen's: Do you have a nickname?

Matt Francis: A couple have been thrown around, but the only one that's

really stuck with me is "Franny". It's pretty boring but it could be

worse so I can't really complain too much about it.