With the NHL holiday break starting early for the Calgary Flames, we’re looking at each and every member of the franchise and what their season has been like so far. Today, we’re profiling sophomore Matt Coronato.
There are no grades — this isn’t high school — but these quick-and-dirty glimpses into their season illustrate where they’re at ahead of the calendar flip from 2024 to 2025.
Name: Matthew Coronato
Position: Right wing
Stats: 9 goals, 9 assists, 18 pts (in 29 games), plus-9, 2 PPG, 7 PPP, 63 SOG, 14.3 SH%
Summary: Matt Coronato is another one of those impressive young players contributing to some unexpected success for the Calgary Flames so far this season.
Like the previously profiled Connor Zary, Coronato is making a massive impact as a sophomore. A rare right-handed shot — and what an elite shot that is — Coronato is the team’s top flanker on that side.
After having to wait early this season to get into the lineup, then enduring a brief but controversial AHL assignment before getting called back on what looks like a permanent basis, Coronato is thriving beside Flames captain Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.
Not only is Coronato facing the top opponents most nights, the 22-year-old is earning plenty of powerplay time and has shown he can score timely goals in clutch situations when the pressure is on.
He’s got a cool demeanour that lets his play do most of the talking, which has earned the trust of Flames head coach Ryan Huska. That has meant more ice time, and time in critical situations like the game’s final minutes.
“He’s playing the game the right way. I feel like he’s a threat offensively for us, as we’ve seen the last number of games, but he’s competitive with his play away from the puck as well,” Huska told reporters recently. “So I think he deserves that time.
“Part of it (is) he’s playing with (Backlund), and Backs usually gets the heavy workload. That factors into it a little bit, but I think he’s deserving of the increased amount of minutes that he’s been getting.”
