Yet another former Beaver is making waves in the NHL.

Troy Landreville, Langley Advance
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2009

In a little over a year, Matt Pope has executed a quantum hockey leap. After four seasons playing NCAA hockey at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, Pope embarked on his pro career last season with the East Coast Hockey League’s Bakersfield (Calif.) Condors.

After tallying 30 goals to go along with 63 points in just 54 games with the Condors, the 6’1″ 185-pound right winger earned a tryout contract with the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Senators. Despite scoring twice in four games with the Sens, he was released, a victim of the numbers game.

A window promptly opened again when Pope signed with the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. In eight regular season games with the Moose, Pope recorded five points. The best was yet to come – Pope was a staple in the Moose’s lineup during their run to the Calder Cup final. He tallied three times and added three helpers in 12 AHL playoff games. Manitoba lost in six games to the Hershey Bears.

This September has seen Pope’s career ascend to a whole new stratosphere. The dream of the 25-year-old Langley resident and lifelong Canucks fan came true on Thursday, Sept. 17 when he donned a Vancouver jersey for the first time. Pope played a significant role in the Canucks’ 3-0 preseason win over the Ducks in Anaheim.

He logged 15:56 of ice time while playing, at times, alongside Canucks assistant captain and Frank J. Selke Trophy award finalist Ryan Kesler. To add to the thrill, Pope’s parents Bud and Tracy and grandfather Robert flew down to Anaheim to watch him play. “Its been really exciting, and definitely pretty hectic,” Pope said, speaking from his cellphone Tuesday afternoon while riding the SkyTrain through Vancouver. “So many people are excited for me and wanting to talk to me. Really, the one word to describe it is ‘exciting.'”

In Anaheim, Pope scored his first ever National Hockey League goal or so it appeared. While screening Ducks goaltender J.S. Giguere during a Canucks’ powerplay, Pope deftly tipped defenceman Kevin Bieksa’s point shot into the net, or so it appeared on the television replay. “I tipped that one with my stick between my legs,” Pope said. “They announced it as my goal on TV and on the radio.”

The officials, however, awarded the goal to Bieksa. Sitting beside Pope in the dressing room, veteran Canucks winger Steve Bernier told the rookie, “nice goal.” Canucks assistant coach Ryan Walter also approached Pope and said, “good tip on goal. It should have been yours.”

Pope isn’t too worried. He plans on saving the puck after scoring his first NHL goal when it really counts: in the regular season. That is, if he makes a Canucks’ lineup stacked with young talent and proven veterans up front. “I’ve been doing well our there, and the staff seems to be pleased,” he said. “Unfortunately, there are a lot of guys, here. It’s a numbers game right now. Throughout the season I think I’ll get chances to come up.”

While it seems likely Pope will end up back in Winnipeg playing for the Moose, he is doing his best to make an impact during the NHL’s long preseason slate. He had a second chance this past Saturday, playing in front of 20 family members and a huge group of friends in Vancouver. Playing on GM Place ice for the first time, he helped the Canucks defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1. Pope, wearing No. 56, was held scoreless through more than 13 minutes of ice time while firing a shot on goal.

While Pope’s first choice is to stay with the Canucks, he has a ton of respect for a Manitoba organization he calls “first class all the way.” Right now Pope’s hockey future is in temporary limbo. He is living in a downtown Vancouver hotel while driving the Ford F150 he purchased a couple of weeks ago, one of the perks of a big league contract. Pope may be navigating his new truck along Manitoba’s frozen tundra this winter, but in the meantime he is taking it one shift at a time with the Canucks.

“I try not to make any mistakes for one,” he said. “I want to look like I belong out there – make it so all the coaches can say, ‘This guy can play here, no problem. If we don’t need him now, we can call him up and he’ll make a flawless integration into the league.'” The intensity of last spring’s long AHL playoff run prepared Pope nicely for the NHL preseason.

“The playoffs last year were more intense than the NHL preseason,” Pope said. “It’s not been a really big jump so far. But once the regular season starts, I’ll notice the difference in speed, and the guys are bigger and stronger in this league.” During NHL preseason play, Pope has rubbed shoulder pads with the likes of future Hall-of-Fame defenceman Scott Niedermayer of Anaheim, but he doesn’t have time to look at nameplates on the back of the opposition’s jerseys during this crucial period of his hockey life. Instead, he’s focusing on earning a permanent Canucks’ nameplate of his own

“Stan Smyl [a former Canuck captain who now works in the team’s front office] talked to me before the preseason games started and told me not to give too much respect to the NHL guys,” Pope said. “He told me not to go out there admiring other players, and just to play them like any other player.” Pope heeded the advice, noting that he beat Niedermayer in a one-on-one situation during the Anaheim contest.

“That’s one thing I’ll never forget,” he said. “One of the best defencemen in the league, if not the best. That was really cool. I’m in awe that I actually beat him.” One player who is tough to beat, in games or practices, is Canucks’ all-world netminder Roberto Luongo.

“At practice, shooting on Luongo and hanging out with him, it’s hard not to be a fan,” Pope said. “He’s not just a player, but the best goalie in the world, and the goalie on my favourite team.” “All my friends are asking, ‘do you know Luongo? I answer, ‘of course I do.'”