SPITFIRE SPOTLIGHT – With Former Spitfire Matt Anthony
Matt Anthony is a prime example of a former Windsor Spitfire player who went on enjoy a interesting, and challenging career in hockey without ever having played in the National Hockey League or any other high-level pro league.
The 39-year-old native of Wheatley went on to obtain a university degree before playing a hat-trick of seasons in Europe after playing parts of three seasons with the Spitfires. Incredibly enough, in 2024 he serves as the goalie coach of the Leamington Flyers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) while still playing competitive hockey with the Tilbury Bluebirds of the Western Ontario Super Hockey League (WOSHL)
In Play! Magazine: How and when did you join the Spitfires?
Matt Anthony: I was drafted in the 17th round, 336th overall, of the 2000 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft.
In Play! Magazine!: As a local kid, was it always your goal or dream to play for the Spitfires?
Matt Anthony: No, not really. I grew up playing in in the Southpoint Minor Hockey Association and I didn’t know much about the Spitfires until my bantam minor season. Back then, it was my goal to play with the Leamington Flyers. They were in Junior B back then and eventually became an affiliate team with the Spitfires.. The Flyers were my idols and I never went to see the Spitfires play at the Windsor Arena because the Flyers also played on Thursday nights at the old Leamington Arena.
In Play! Magazine: Talk about your first season with the Spitfires back in 2001-2002.
Matt Anthony: My first training camp with the Spitfires was at the South Windsor Arena (now Capri Recreation Complex). They didn’t use the Windsor Arena for training camp back then because the ice was never good that early in the season at The Barn and you couldn’t see through the Plexiglas because of the condensation. Not long into my first camp I separated my shoulder when I left my crease to chase after the puck and someone cross-checked me and my shoulder popped. I missed a few weeks and when I got healthy I played four games before being sent down to the Leamington Flyers. But the Flyers already had two goalies so they traded me to the Tecumseh Bulldogs (now LaSalle Vipers) and I played there for a season.
After our season ended in Tecumseh, I practiced with the Spitfires full-time as their third goalie behind both Ryan Aschaber and Cory Campbell, who they picked up in a trade during the season.
In Play! Magazine: What are some of your favourite memories of playing at the Windsor Arena – The Barn?
Matt Anthony: My favourite memories from the Barn are actually from games that I did not play in. When I was in net for the Spitfires, I did not take in the atmosphere as I was focused on playing and did not allow myself to be distracted. I had to focus on the puck and follow the play. Maybe other players could look up into the stands and maybe wink at or react to a fan, but I could not do that. I never looked up into the crowd during a game – never.
I do remember the fans being very loud and energetic at the Barn and I was happy to have them on my side as opposed to the visiting players. They could be rough on those guys. LOL
But I think my favourite memory of the Barn came when I was sitting in the stands during the game that Steve Ott scored his 50th goal of the season on a penalty shot. The place went crazy and I thought the fans were going to blow the roof off the place.
In Play! Magazine: Where did you play after your final season with the Spitfires back in 2003-2004 – now 20 years ago?
Matt Anthony: I played one season with Yarmouth (Nova Scotia) in the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MJHL) before I went to Dalhousie University in Halifax where I played hockey while I double-Majored in anthropology and English.
Then I ended up playing three seasons in a Dutch league, where I played in Eindhoven, who were an expansion team. I found out about the opportunity from a friend of mine, Rob Serviss, who was already playing over there. And when I was playing in Eindhoven I started getting into goalie coaching too.
I played with the Dutch National Team in an exhibition tournament overseas before I came back to North American and ended up in the Federal League.
In Play! Magazine: How did you end up as the goalie coach for the Leamington Flyers?
Matt Anthony: I came home to Wheatley and was about 99.9 per cent that I was going to retire as a player when I received a phone call from the Flyers. Their goalie coach had just retired and they asked me if I was interested in taking over from him. When the new ownership group took over in Leamington I had to basically re-apply for the job. I did and I’m still there today.
In Play! Magazine: Is coaching sometime that you would like to do for a career?
Matt Anthony: I think so. I really enjoy helping younger players and teaching them how they can improve their play. It is so satisfying to see some of them advance in their careers. I saw the value of having a good goalie coach when I was playing with the Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League. First I worked with Rick Pracey and then it was Tim Bacik. I learned a lot from both.
In Play! Magazine: How did you end up going back to coming out of retirement as a player with the Tilbury Bluebirds this season and how difficult is it to juggle both playing for a team in one league while working as a coach with another team in a different league?
Matt Anthony: I’m having a great time doing both! Tilbury reached out to me because they needed someone to be the backup behind (starter) Ryan Polidori. And while I had stopped playing in a league a few years ago, I still played in a few tournaments with pickup teams of friends so it wasn’t like I was completely out of game-playing shape. And being able to play in Tilbury has also allowed me to work on my own game as a goaltender as I can employ the tips and advice that I give the younger guys.
It’s not too difficult to juggle being with both teams at once because our schedules are fairly flexible and both teams know that I am with the other team at the same time so they do give me the time off that I sometimes need.