Matthew Jon-Porter Elich (born September 22, 1978) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

winger.

Biography

Elich was born in

Grosse Pointe, Michigan Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,678. Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along La ...

. As a youth, he played in the 1992

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with the Detroit Little Caesars

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team. Elich played

junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...

with the

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...

. He was drafted in the third round, 61st overall, by the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Elich made his

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

debut with the Lightning during the

1999–2000 NHL season The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, 28 teams each played 82 games. This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for ...

, appearing in eight games and scoring one goal. He appeared in eight more games for the Lightning during the

2000–01 NHL season The 2000–01 NHL season was the 84th regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild, 30 teams each played 82 games. The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalan ...

Career statistics

References

External links

* 1978 births American men's ice hockey right wingers Cardiff Devils players Detroit Vipers players ECH Chur players Flint Generals players Greensboro Generals players Heilbronner Falken players HK Acroni Jesenice players Ice hockey players from Michigan Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) players Kalamazoo Wings (2007–2009) players Kingston Frontenacs players Living people Pensacola Ice Pilots players Sportspeople from Grosse Pointe, Michigan Ice hockey people from Wayne County, Michigan Port Huron Icehawks players Roanoke Valley Vipers players South Carolina Stingrays players Springfield Falcons players Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks Tampa Bay Lightning players Wheeling Nailers players Windsor Spitfires players American expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland American expatriate ice hockey players in Wales American expatriate ice hockey players in Germany American expatriate ice hockey players in Slovenia American expatriate ice hockey players in Canada {{US-icehockey-winger-stub