Seattle Thunderbirds Center Matthew Barzal knows how to work a crowd. The 15^th draft pick in 2015, he is known for both his skill and confidence, assets that make him one of the most coveted players in the league.

Player Steve Bernier says of Barzal, “He's trying plays that you don't see many young guys try, and he's got the confidence to think he's going to pull them off."

Weighing in at 187 pounds, Barzal is 6’0 and shoots right. Hailing from Coquitlam, British Columbia, he was born on May 26, 1997. Barzal started his career in the 2011-12 season with the Burnaby Winter Club Bantam 1A team. Then, during the 2012 draft, the Seattle Thunderbirds chose him as a player after he’d demonstrated his skills by earning 39 goals and 68 assists, totaling 107 points in only 35 games.

In the regular season, Barzal has scored 28 goals and made 91 assists with the Thunderbirds, earning him 119 points in 107 games played. Barzal has had 46 PIM. After playing in 15 playoff games in 2014 and 2015, he scored 5 goals, made 9 assists and earned 14 points overall.

During his 2012-2013 season, Barzal played for the Vancouver NE Chiefs in the British Columbia Minor Midget Hockey League, where he not only set a BCMMHL record for most assists in a single season but also earned a record for the Chiefs for scoring the most points in a single season, further solidifying his reputation as a bold upcoming player. During the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in November of that season, he was also selected as an All Star player.

Barzal’s first experience playing with the T-Birds occurred in the 2013-2014 season in a game against the Portland Winterhawks. During the season, he earned further accolades as the player with the third-most points for a 16 year-old player in the history of the tea. During the same season, he held the records for the longest point streak as well as the longest assist streak for the team. Barzal also made history during the season when he tied a game with Medicine Hat during the last 29 seconds with a penalty shot, opening up the opportunity for the T-Birds to take the game during overtime to the thrill of fans. With seven two-assist games, 13 two-point games and a three-point game, Barzal has demonstrated his full capabilities repeatedly on the ice.

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