Born: June 18, 1931
H.S. Class: 1949
Position: Forward
HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL | COLLEGE |
---|---|---|
Eveleth | Eveleth | Michigan |
State Tourneys | State Titles | All-State Tourney | NCAA Titles | Olympics | U.S. Hockey HOF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1947, 48, 49 | 1948, 49 | 1947, 48, 49 | 1951, 53 (Michigan) | 1956 | 1991 |
Eveleth's John Matchefts ranks fifth in state tournament career scoring with 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists). Courtesy photo
Hockey equipment in the 1930’s and ’40s compared to what is available today is akin to the difference between an abacus and an iPad.
Still, the rudimentary offerings of gear were considered luxury items in many households. A decent pair of skates, especially, was a rare find.
Eveleth’s John Matchefts had one option if he wanted to play hockey with the rest of the neighborhood kids.
“They were high blades, but hell, that’s all we had, so I used hers,” Matchefts said about his sister’s figure skates. “Of course, they were too long for me.
“It probably was good that I learned on them. Because when I got a decent pair of skates, it was like I was skating barefoot.”
By the time Matchefts was 16, he was fully grown at a stocky 5-foot-6 and renowned as something of a skating and stickhandling wunderkind. Matchefts was held in such high regard he was invited to Boston to try out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team.
Eveleth's John Matchefts was the first player (one just one of 13 overall) to be named to the all-state tournament team three straight years. Star Tribune file photo
“He was like a jackrabbit on the ice,” said Ron Casetellano, who played on Eveleth’s varsity hockey team for two seasons with Matchefts. “He could really maneuver well.”
As a sophomore playing in the 1947 state tournament, Matchefts had three goals and three assists in three games as Eveleth finished in fourth place. He tied with four other players for the tournament scoring title and was the lone Eveleth player named to the eight-member all-tournament team.
Matchefts scored a stunning nine goals and added five assists to not only lead the 1948 tournament in scoring but also power Eveleth to an unbeaten season and its second state championship in the four-year history of the event.
“He was a tough kid, I’ll tell you that,” said Willard Ikola, Eveleth’s goaltender during all three of Matchefts’ varsity seasons. “He was a heck of a halfback. He was a heck of a baseball player, too. He was just tougher than nails.”
Matchefts’ had good end-to-end speed, but it was his quickness that made him all but untouchable. His hands moved as fast as his feet, leaving defensemen little chance of seeing the puck, much less stealing it from the Golden Bears’ pocket tornado.
“He was a role model for me,” said John Mayasich, another standout Eveleth forward who was two years behind Matchefts in school. “He was very quick, and he was smart. He could deke, he could hit; he had everything.
“You admired everything he did. He was somebody you would want to learn from. He was special.”
Eveleth beat White Bear Lake 6-0 and Warroad 8-0 to reach the championship game of the 1949 state tournament. Matchefts had a goal and an assist in Eveleth’s 4-1 triumph over Williams that capped another undefeated season.
Matchefts became the first of 13 players to be named to the all-tournament team three straight years, and he finished with 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) in nine tournament games. He ranks fifth in all-time state tournament career scoring.
“He was tremendous coming in on a breakaway,” Ikola said. “He was like a halfback coming in with his hips moving and all that. He was shifting all over the place. He scored lot of his goals coming in close.”
Eveleth's John Matchefts takes in the sights while competing on the U.S. Olympic team at the 1956 games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Star Tribune file photo
Joe Matchefts, John’s father, was a 6-foot-3 baseball star who grew up in Virginia. Joe was a pitcher on a local barnstorming semi-pro team that would play games as far away as in California.
“I didn’t get those genes,” Matchefts said about his dad’s height, adding that his mother, Lena, was about 5-1.
Matchefts said he tried pitching for the Golden Bears but quickly discovered he was better suited for shortstop.
“He reminded me of (Phil) Rizzuto, the shortstop for the Yanks,” Mayasich said about Matchefts, who also was a standout sprinter on the track team.
Hockey was Matchefts’ sport of choice, and coming out of high school he declined offers to play professionally in the minor leagues.
Instead, he continued his career in college for Michigan. Matchefts was an All-American selection on Wolverines’ teams that won national titles in 1951 and ’53. He was academically ineligible for the second half of the 1952 season, or he would have been a regular on a third championship team.
Matchefts, who had traveled to Boston as a 16-year-old for that Olympic team tryout, didn’t travel to St. Moritz, Switzerland, for the 1948 Games. He was, however, on the 1956 U.S. squad that won a silver medal in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Matchefts coached high school hockey in Thief River Falls and Eveleth, then took over the head coaching position at Colorado College in 1966.
He left Colorado College for the Air Force Academy, where he became head coach in 1974. He guided the Falcons for 11 seasons before retiring.
Matchefts lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Carolyn.
-- Loren Nelson, MN Hockey Hub editor
From left, Eveleth's John Mayasich and John Matchefts, both forwards, coach John Mariucci and goaltender Willard Ikola joined forces on the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Star Tribune file photo
Rank | Name | School | Grad. | Pos. | Born | Status | St. Titles | Mr. Hockey | College | Olym. | NHL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Mayasich | Eveleth | 1951 | F | 5/22/33 | Retired | 1948, 49, 50, 51 | NA | Minnesota (1951-55) | 1956, 1960 | - |
2 | Neal Broten | Roseau | 1978 | F | 11/29/59 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1978-81) | 1980 | 1,099 gms; four teams; 80-97 |
3 | Phil Housley | South St. Paul | 1982 | D | 3/9/64 | Retired | - | NA | - | 2002 | 1,495 gms; eight teams; 82-03 |
4 | Tim Sheehy | International Falls | 1966 | F | 9/3/48 | Retired | 1964, 65, 66 | NA | Boston College (1967-70) | 1972 | 27 gms; DET, HAR; 77-80 |
5 | Henry Boucha | Warroad | 1969 | D | 6/1/51 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1972 | 247 gms; four teams; 71-77 |
6 | Mike Antonovich | Greenway | 1969 | F | 10/18/51 | Retired | 1967, 68 | NA | Minnesota (1969-72) | - | 87 gms; three teams; 75-84 |
7 | Willard Ikola | Eveleth | 1950 | G | 7/28/32 | Retired | 1948, 49, 50 | NA | Michigan (1951-54) | 1956 | - |
8 | Mike Crowley | Bloomington Jefferson | 1994 | D | 7/4/75 | Retired | 1992, 93, 94 | 1994 | Minnesota (1994-97) | - | 67 gms; ANA; 97-01 |
9 | Dave Spehar | Duluth East | 1996 | F | 11/7/77 | Retired | 1995 | 1996 | Minnesota (1996-00) | - | - |
10 | John Matchefts | Eveleth | 1949 | F | 6/18/31 | Retired | 1948, 49 | NA | Michigan (1950-53) | 1956 | - |
11 | Kyle Rau | Eden Prairie | 2011 | F | 10/24/92 | Active | 2009, 11 | 2011 | Minnesota (2011- present) | - | - |
12 | Aaron Broten | Roseau | 1979 | F | 11/14/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-81) | - | 748 gms; six teams; 80-92 |
13 | Craig Norwich | Edina East | 1974 | D | 12/15/55 | Retired | 1974 | NA | Wisconsin (1974-77) | - | 104 gms; three teams; 79-81 |
14 | John Pohl | Red Wing | 1998 | F | 6/29/79 | Retired | 1997 (Class 1A) | 1998 | Minnesota (1998-02) | - | 115 gms; StL, TOR; 03-08 |
15 | Gary Sargent | Bemidji | 1972 | D | 2/8/54 | Retired | - | NA | Bemidji State (1972-73) | - | 402 gms; LAK, MIN; 75-83 |
16 | Bob Krieger | Edina | 1970 | F | 10/5/52 | Retired | 1969 | NA | Denver (1970-74) | - | - |
17 | George Pelawa | Bemidji | 1986 | F | 2/14/68 | Deceased | - | 1986 | - | - | - |
18 | Bill Nyrop | Edina | 1970 | D | 7/23/52 | Deceased | 1969 | NA | Notre Dame (1970-74) | - | 207 gms; MON, MIN; 75-82 |
19 | Tom Chorske | Minneapolis Southwest | 1985 | F | 9/18/66 | Retired | - | 1985 | Minnesota (1985-89) | - | 596 gms; seven teams; 89-00 |
20 | Steve "Pokey" Trachsel | Duluth Cathedral | 1969 | D | 4/16/51 | Retired | 1966, 67, 68, 69 (Catholic) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1969-73) | - | - |
21 | Scott Bloom | Burnsville | 1986 | F | 2/6/68 | Retired | 1985, 86 | 1986 finalist | Minnesota (1986-90) | - | - |
22 | Phil Hoene | Duluth Cathedral | 1967 | F | 3/15/49 | Retired | 1965, 66, 67 (Catholic) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1968-71) | - | 37 gms; LAK; 72-75 |
23 | Corey Millen | Cloquet | 1982 | F | 4/29/64 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1982-87) | 1984, 1988 | 335 gms; five teams; 89-97 |
24 | Reed Larson | Minneapolis Roosevelt | 1974 | D | 7/30/56 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1974-77) | - | 904 gms; six teams; 76-90 |
25 | Bob Young | Hill | 1971 | D | 3/1/53 | Retired | 1970 (Indep.) | NA | Denver (1971-75) | - | - |
26 | Brad Shelstad | Minneapolis Southwest | 1970 | G | 9/14/52 | Retired | 1970 | NA | Minnesota (1970-74) | - | - |
27 | Mike Ramsey | Minneapolis Roosevelt | 1978 | D | 12/3/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1978-79) | 1980 | 1,070 gms; three teams; 80-97 |
28 | Matt Cullen | Moorhead | 1995 | F | 11/2/76 | Active | - | 1995 finalist | St. Cloud State (1995-97) | - | 966 gms; five teams; 98- present |
29 | Bill Baker | Grand Rapids | 1975 | D | 11/29/56 | Retired | 1975 | NA | Minnesota (1975-79) | 1980 | 143 gms; four teams; 80-83 |
30 | Paul Martin | Elk River | 2000 | D | 3/5/81 | Active | - | 2000 | Minnesota (2000-03) | 2006 | 487 gms; NJ, PIT; 03- present |
31 | Wally Grant | Eveleth | 1945 | F | 12/8/27 | Retired | 1945 | NA | Michigan (1945-46, 47-50) | - | - |
32 | Brian Bonin | White Bear Lake | 1992 | F | 11/28/73 | Retired | - | 1992 | Minnesota (1992-96) | - | 12 gms; PIT, MIN; 98-00 |
33 | Larry Olimb | Warroad | 1988 | D | 8/11/69 | Retired | - | 1988 | Minnesota (1988-92) | - | - |
34 | Dave Langevin | Hill-Murray | 1972 | D | 5/15/54 | Retired | 1970, 72 (Indep.) | NA | Minnesota-Duluth (1972-76) | - | 513 gms; three teams; 79-87 |
35 | Joe Bianchi | Bloomington Jefferson | 1994 | F | 8/17/75 | Retired | 1992, 93, 94 | 1994 finalist | Wisconsin (1994-98) | - | - |
36 | Peter Fichuk | International Falls | 1965 | F | 4/8/47 | Retired | 1964, 65 | NA | Minnesota (1966-69) | - | - |
37 | Jon Casey | Grand Rapids | 1980 | G | 8/29/62 | Retired | 1980 | NA | North Dakota (1980-84) | 425 gms; three teams; 83-87 | |
38 | Doug Woog | South St. Paul | 1962 | F | 1/26/44 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1963-66) | - | - |
39 | Darby Hendrickson | Richfield | 1991 | F | 8/28/72 | Retired | - | 1991 | Minnesota (1991-93) | 1994 | 518 gms; five teams; 94-04 |
40 | Paul Ranheim | Edina | 1984 | F | 1/25/66 | Retired | 1984 | NA | Wisconsin (1984-88) | - | 1,013 gms; five teams; 88-03 |
41 | Steve Christoff | Richfield | 1976 | F | 1/23/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | 248 gms; three teams; 79-84 |
42 | T.J. Oshie | Warroad | 2005 | F | 12/23/86 | Active | 2003, 2005 (Class 1A) | 2005 finalist | North Dakota (2005-08) | - | 184 gms; StL; 08- present |
43 | Scott Lecy | Rochester John Marshall | 1977 | F | 4/8/59 | Retired | 1977 | NA | Wisconsin (1977-81) | - | - |
44 | Scott Bjugstad | Irondale | 1979 | F | 6/2/61 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-83) | 1984 | 317 gms; three teams; 83-92 |
45 | Mike "Lefty" Curran | International Falls | 1962 | G | 4/14/1944 | Retired | 1962 | NA | North Dakota (1965-68) | 1972 | - |
46 | Joe Micheletti | Hibbing | 1973 | F | 10/24/54 | Retired | 1973 | NA | Minnesota (1973-77) | - | 158 gms; StL, COL; 79-82 |
47 | Rob McClanahan | Mounds View | 1976 | F | 1/9/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | 224 gms; three teams; 80-84 |
48 | Nick Leddy | Eden Prairie | 2009 | D | 3/20/91 | Active | 2009 | 2009 | Minnesota (2009-10) | - | 46 gms; CHI; 10- present |
49 | Tom Pederson | Bloomington Jefferson | 1988 | D | 1/14/70 | Retired | - | 1988 finalist | Minnesota (1988-91) | - | 240 gms; SJ, TOR; 92-97 |
50 | Dave Christian | Warroad | 1977 | F | 5/12/59 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1977-79) | 1980 | 1,009 gms; five teams; 80-94 |
51 | Jay North | Bloomington Jefferson | 1980 | F | 6/26/62 | Retired | - | NA | Harvard (1980-84) | - | - |
52 | Paul Johnson | Breck | 1953 | F | 5/18/36 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
53 | Pete Waselovich | International Falls | 1973 | G | 11/15/54 | Retired | 1972 | NA | North Dakota (1973-77) | - | - |
54 | Tom Kurvers | Bloomington Jefferson | 1980 | D | 9/14/62 | Retired | - | NA | UM-Duluth (1980-84) | - | 659 gms; seven teams; 84-95 |
55 | Mark Osiecki | Burnsville | 1986 | D | 7/23/68 | Retired | 1985, 86 | - | Wisconsin (1997-90) | - | 93 gms; four teams; 91-93 |
56 | Mark Pavelich | Eveleth | 1976 | F | 2/28/58 | Retired | - | NA | UM-Duluth (1976-79) | 1980 | 355 gms; three teams; 81-92 |
57 | Mark Parrish | Bloomington Jefferson | 1995 | F | 2/2/77 | Active | 1994 | 1995 finalist | St. Cloud State (1995-97) | 2006 | 722 gms; seven teams; 98- present |
58 | Bryan "Butsy" Erickson | Roseau | 1978 | F | 3/7/60 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1979-83) | - | 351 gms; four teams; 83-94 |
59 | Roger Christian | Warroad | 1956 | F | 12/1/35 | Deceased | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
60 | Bill Christian | Warroad | 1956 | F | 1/28/38 | Retired | - | NA | - | 1960, 1964 | - |
61 | Trent Klatt | Osseo | 1989 | F | 1/30/72 | Retired | - | 1989 | Minnesota (1989-92) | - | 782 gms; five teams; 91-04 |
62 | Erik Rasmussen | St. Louis Park | 1995 | F/D | 3/28/77 | Retired | - | 1995 | Minnesota (1995-97) | - | 545 gms; three teams; 97-07 |
63 | Robb Stauber | Duluth Denfeld | 1986 | G | 11/25/67 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1986-89) | - | 62 gms; LAK, BUF; 89-95 |
64 | Joe Dziedzic | Minneapolis Edison | 1990 | F | 12/18/71 | Retired | - | 1990 | Minnesota (1990-94) | - | 130 gms; PIT, PHX; 95-99 |
65 | Ryan McDonagh | Cretin- Derham Hall | 2007 | D | 6/13/89 | Active | 2006 | 2007 | Wisconsin (2007-10) | - | 40 gms; NYR; 10- present |
66 | Craig Johnson | Hill-Murray | 1990 | F | 3/18/72 | Retired | - | 1990 finalist | Minnesota (1990-93) | 1994 | 557 gms; five teams; 94-04 |
67 | Matt Hendricks | Blaine | 2000 | F | 6/17/81 | Active | 2000 | 2000 finalist | St. Cloud State (2000-04) | - | 137 gms; COL, WSH; 08- present |
68 | Wally Chapman | Edina | 1982 | F | 7/6/64 | Retired | 1982 | NA | Minnesota (1982-86) | - | - |
69 | Bob Paradise | Cretin | 1962 | D | 4/22/44 | Retired | - | NA | Saint Mary's (1962-66) | 1968 | 368 gms; four teams; 71-79 |
70 | Ben Hanowski | Little Falls | 2009 | F | 10/18/90 | Active | - | 2009 finalist | St. Cloud State (2009- present) | - | - |
71 | Damian Rhodes | Richfield | 1987 | G | 5/28/69 | Retired | - | NA | Michigan Tech (1987-90) | - | 309 gms; three teams; 90-02 |
72 | Eric Strobel | Rochester Mayo | 1976 | F | 6/5/58 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1976-79) | 1980 | - |
73 | Dick Dougherty | International Falls | 1950 | F | 8/5/32 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1951-54) | 1956 | - |
74 | Gino Guyer | Greenway | 2002 | F | 10/14/83 | Active | - | 2002 | Minnesota (2002-06) | - | - |
75 | Jim Amidon | International Falls | 1963 | F | 2/18/45 | Retired | 1962 | NA | Colorado College (1964-67) | - | - |
76 | Karl Goehring | Apple Valley | 1996 | G | 8/23/78 | Retired | 1996 | NA | North Dakota (1997-01) | - | - |
77 | Rube Bjorkman | Roseau | 1947 | F | 2/27/29 | Retired | 1946 | NA | Minnesota (1948-51) | 1948, 1952 | - |
78 | Tony Bianchi | Bloomington Jefferson | 1989 | F | 12/15/70 | Retired | 1989 | - | Minnesota (1991-94) | - | - |
79 | Oscar Mahle | International Falls | 1957 | F | 8/22/39 | Deceased | 1957 | NA | Minnesota (1959-61) | - | - |
80 | Mike Randolph | Duluth Cathedral | 1970 | F | 11/5/51 | Retired | 1967, 68, 69 (Catholic) | NA | - | - | - |
81 | Aaron Ness | Roseau | 2008 | D | 5/18/90 | Active | 2007 | 2008 | Minnesota (2008-11) | - | - |
82 | Doug Palazzari | Eveleth | 1970 | F | 11/3/52 | Retired | - | NA | Colorado College (1970-74) | - | 108 gms; StL; 74-79 |
83 | Nick Checco | Bloomington Jefferson | 1993 | F | 11/18/74 | Retired | 1992, 93 | 1993 | Minnesota (1993-97) | - | - |
84 | John Rothstein | Grand Rapids | 1975 | F | 10/28/56 | Retired | 1975 | NA | UM-Duluth (1975-79) | - | - |
85 | Gary Wood | International Falls | 1965 | D | 9/28/46 | Deceased | 1964, 65 | NA | - | - | - |
86 | Al Hangsleben | Warroad | 1971 | D | 2/22/53 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1971-74) | - | 185 gms; three teams; 79-82 |
87 | Doug Peltier | St. Paul Johnson | 1968 | F | 6/29/50 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1969-72) | - | - |
88 | Mike Lauen | Edina East | 1979 | F | 2/6/61 | Retired | 1978, 79 | NA | Michigan Tech (1979-83) | - | 4 gms; WIN; 83-84 |
89 | Max Oshie | Warroad | 1948 | F | 6/10/28 | Deceased | - | NA | - | - | - |
90 | Tom Gorowsky | Centennial | 2004 | F | 4/8/86 | Retired | 2004 | 2004 | Wisconsin (2005-09) | - | - |
91 | Jack McCartan | St. Paul Marshall | 1953 | G | 8/5/35 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1955-58) | 1960 | 12 gms; NYR; 59-61 |
92 | Doug Zmolek | Roch. John Marshall | 1989 | D | 11/3/70 | Retired | - | 1989 finalist | Minnesota (1989-92) | - | 467 gms; four teams; 92-00 |
93 | Pete LoPresti | Eveleth | 1972 | G | 5/23/54 | Retired | - | NA | Denver (1972-74) | - | 175 gms; MIN, EDM; 74-81 |
94 | Terry Abram | South St. Paul | 1965 | D | 2/14/47 | Retired | - | NA | North Dakota (1966-69) | - | - |
95 | Bill "Buzz" Schneider | Babbitt | 1972 | F/D | 9/14/54 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1972-75) | 1976, 1980 | - |
96 | David Backes | Spring Lake Park | 2002 | F | 5/1/84 | Active | - | 2002 finalist | Minnesota State (2003-06) | 2010 | 364 gms; StL; 06-11 |
97 | Don Ross | Roseau | 1960 | F | 10/11/42 | Retired | 1958, 59 | NA | North Dakota (1961-65) | 1964, 1968 | - |
98 | Mike Polich | Hibbing | 1971 | F | 12/19/52 | Retired | - | NA | Minnesota (1971-75) | - | 226 gms; MON, MIN; 76-81 |
99 | Chris Locker | Duluth East | 1996 | F | 10/14/77 | Retired | 1995 | - | UW-River Falls (1999-2000) | - | - |
100 | Herb Brooks | St. Paul Johnson | 1955 | F | 8/5/37 | Deceased | 1955 | NA | Minnesota (1955-59) | 1964, 1968 | - |