Chicago Wolves' Stefan Matteau is the Toughest Athlete on the Damn Planet
By Charles Nason
Stefan Matteau, a forward for the Las Vegas Golden Knights AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves, put just about everything on the line in pursuit of a Calder Cup. Matteau is the son of Stéphane, a member of the 1994 New York Rangers Stanley Cup team known for scoring one of the biggest goals in the franchise's history.
Well Stefan didn't exactly score a huge goal in the NHL Conference Finals like his dad. He did, however, show that he is one of the toughest athletes on the planet with an insane display of commitment.
Stefan Matteau lacerated a kidney in Game 4 and played through it. He went to the hospital afterwards.
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) June 9, 2019
Hockey players are unreal.@Chicago_Wolves @TheAHL
Yep, that's right. A lacerated kidney. He played through a lacerated kidney.
Despite his team about to go down 3-1 in the series, Matteau fought through a brutal injury to help out his team. Since getting his start with the New Jersey Devils, Matteau has been sent back and forth between the NHL and AHL a number of times. In each of his active seasons, Matteau hasn't quite been able to prove himself at the NHL level.
It's clear, however, that regardless of the league he plays in Matteau is a guy you want on your team. Even when he's battling a lacerated kidney.
Rocky Thompson approached Matteau during Game 4 and said: "Hey man, are you OK?"
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) June 9, 2019
"He's like, 'Yeah. I'll be OK.' Then he said it went away and he just gutted it out the whole time. … Then he realized something (was) bad here. He spent the last two days in the hospital."
Matteau was indispensable for Chicago in the postseason, and especially in the Calder Cup Finals. From scoring the overtime game-winning-goal in Game 1 to playing through a lacerated kidney in Game 4, Matteau did just about everything to help his team win a championship.
If you didn't think so before, Stefan Matteau helped prove that hockey players are one of the toughest breeds in the world.