For Canes forward Stelio Mattheos, ‘battle mode’ takes on a whole different meaning
A smiling Stelio Mattheos came striding into the room wearing a gray Carolina Hurricanes T-shirt, ready for a media interview during training camp, and it was easy noticing his head full of curly dark hair.
It also was hard not thinking back to another, darker time two years ago.
In September 2019, Mattheos had no hair when the forward spoke with the media during the Canes’ preseason training camp. He had lost it during treatments for cancer that had put a hold on his hockey career and left the forward from Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a lot more life questions than answers.
The recovery would last longer than he wanted. He would not feel significantly “normal” again on the ice, in terms of his conditioning and skating, for a long time.
“Probably until this offseason,” he said in the interview last week at PNC Arena. “I had two groin surgeries, so it was pretty tough and I still have to do a lot of maintenance now and take care of it. But I’m feeling healthy again and I’m ready to go.
“I’m just excited to play every day, excited for the season. Things are looking more positive these days.”
Mattheos will start the 2021-22 season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. He was one of the players assigned Saturday by the Canes to their AHL affiliate.
But, no complaints. For a player just 22, what a journey it has been.
Mattheos shows promise
Mattheos was taken by Carolina in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, the 73rd overall pick. He had size — at 6-1 and about 190 pounds, he was said to “play a heavy game.” And he continued to show steady development, playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League — 87 goals and 186 points in 133 games during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Mattheos joined the Charlotte Checkers, then the Canes’ American Hockey League affiliate in the 2018-19 season after the Wheat Kings failed to reach the WHL playoffs. His year was far from over as he played 11 regular-season games for the Checkers, then 14 in the playoffs as Charlotte won its first Calder Cup championship.
There was much for Mattheos to celebrate. But there was a nagging, worrisome groin pain.
‘It’s about real life’
Two days after the Calder Cup playoffs ended, Mattheos was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
As Mattheos put it, he had “one of the happiest days of my life followed by one of the saddest days of my life, one of the scariest days of my life.”
Mattheos had chemotherapy treatments and surgery. He said he lost about 10 to 15 pounds — and his hair. He took small steps in recovery, then bigger ones. He slowly regained weight.
“It was extremely tough,” he said. “Extremely tough physically. Tougher, mentally, as well ... You have to adopt that warrior mentality. You’re never feeling good, you’re uncertain about things.
“I think as athletes we’re really conditioned physically to deal with any injuries or illness that kind of comes our way. Mentally, it’s a lot bigger grind, I found. It took a while to feel like myself again.”
Mattheos said he went into a “battle mode” to get through it, knowing at the same time it wasn’t about being hockey tough.
“It’s about real life,” he said.
It helped to have a large support group of family, friends and teammates, he said, and that others that he did not know also reached out to say they, too, were facing cancer but had heard his story and were inspired by it.
“I’m happy I can help others,” he said. “If there is anyone who needs someone who has been through that, I’m here for them.”
Slow return to hockey
Mattheos finally was strong enough to rejoin the Checkers in November 2019. Then came a lower-body injury that kept him off the ice until February 2020.
Then came the pandemic that kept everyone off the ice, ending the season.
The Canes moved their AHL affiliation to Chicago for the 2020-21 season, but the pandemic postponed the that league’s start. Mattheos played just six games for Chicago and another three in the ECHL, still trying to build himself back into the kind of player he once was, the one the Canes drafted.
“It’s a testament to him and all he’s gone through, just sticking with it,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “He’s a hockey player now. We just look at him as one of the guys. We’re really happy for him that he’s fought back and he’s ready to play.”
Mattheos recently was selected for the Canes’ team that competed in an NHL Prospects Showcase hosted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was uber-physical on the ice, getting into a few skirmishes and spending time in the penalty box.
“Trying to play hard,” Mattheos said. “That’s kind of my game. I don’t want to be scared. I just like to play like a power forward and don’t shy away from anything. Compete every shift and play the style they want me to here.”
Scared? Stelio Mattheos has been there. Compete? Mattheos is doing that. One thing about a life-changing health scare: It makes you a realist.
“I just want to prove I can show my old form and keep improving,” Mattheos said.
Jokingly told his hair proved it can come back to its old form, he smiled.
“It’s a little curlier,” he said, “but I’m having some fun with it now.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 8:15 AM with the headline "For Canes forward Stelio Mattheos, ‘battle mode’ takes on a whole different meaning."
