Matt Ellis

Matt Ellis (born August 31, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Not selected in an NHL Entry Draft, Ellis played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and the Buffalo Sabres.
== Professional career ==
===Minor league hockey===
Ellis started play in the OHL with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in 1998. He quickly learned the speed and style of the game, as he started producing goals and assists right away. Each year with the Majors saw Ellis improving his point totals, from 18 the first year, onto 35,45, and finishing with 38 goals and 51 assists for 89 total points in his final year with Toronto, helping them with the Central Division title. 
The Detroit Red Wings came calling and signed Ellis as a free agent on May 10, 2002. He was sent to play on the Wings' farm team the Toledo Storm in the ECHL where he posted 59 points in the regular season and tacked on eight points in the Storms' short playoff run.
===Reaching the AHL===
In the following season, Ellis was quickly brought up to the AHL to join the Grand Rapids Griffins and tallied his first AHL point on October 24, 2003 with an assist on the game-winning goal versus the Utah Grizzlies. Ellis again took time to adjust to the faster pace but soon found his place with the team. Each year his point totals went up and in the 2005–06 season, Ellis was named captain; the youngest captain ever in Griffins' history. This gave him the needed confidence to continue his growth as a player, which Ellis summed up when he had this to say about his captaincy:
 "It’s definitely a big factor. You can totally tell the difference when there’s a guy out there playing with confidence and when a guy’s unsure of himself. Being a fourth-year pro, it makes a huge difference. Each year, you come in with a little more confidence, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by some great players and coaches who were there to give me a pat on the back or help me out and keep me motivated." 
When asked about the chance to play for the Red Wings, Ellis said:
"I’m hoping. Grand Rapids is a great place to learn and develop, but I’d like to get my feet wet in Detroit – for sure." 
===Detroit Red Wings===
Ellis made his NHL debut for the Detroit Red Wings on December 18, 2006 in a 4–3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
===Los Angeles Kings===
Ellis was claimed off of waivers by the Los Angeles Kings on February 21, 2008. He scored his first goal with the Kings, an empty-net goal, on March 13, 2008 against the Nashville Predators at Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
===Buffalo Sabres===
Shortly before the commencement of the 2008-09 season, on October 1, 2008, Ellis was claimed off of waivers from the Kings by the Buffalo Sabres. He played his first game with the latter on October 15 against the New York Rangers. On December 18, after injuries to several Buffalo forwards, Ellis was recalled from Buffalo's then-AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates, for the second time that season. In the subsequent off-season, on July 9, 2009, he resigned with the Sabres on a one-year contract.
On August 31, 2010, Ellis was re-signed to an additional one-year contract with Buffalo. To begin the following 2010-11 season, the Sabres placed Ellis on waivers, which he cleared on October 4, 2010. On July 19, 2011, in the off-season, Ellis signed a multi-year contract extension with the Sabres.
During the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Ellis was again waived and was sent to the AHL's Rochester Americans after six games played with Buffalo. After 12 points in 35 games with the Americans, Ellis opted to remain with the Sabres organization, signing a two-year, two-way contract extension on July 3, 2013.
In the 2014-15 season, Ellis was recalled to the Sabres during the midpoint of the season, and on April 1, 2015, he scored his first goal of the campaign in a Buffalo victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On July 9, 2015, Ellis signed a one-year contract with the Rochester Americans. Ellis announced his retirement at the end of the season. He immediately joined The Academy of Hockey, which like the Sabres and Americans is owned by Terrence Pegula, as a coach.
==Awards and achievements==
*2004–05: Matched a Grand Rapids Griffins record with four shorthanded goals giving him the nickname "shorty"
*2004–05: First player in Griffins history to score two shorthanded goals in a home game. (March 12, 2005 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs)
*2005–06: Named youngest captain in Grand Rapids Griffins' history
== Career statistics ==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1998–99 	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL 	 	47 	10 	8 	18 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL 	 	59 	15 	20 	35 	20 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL 	 	68 	21 	24 	45 	19 	 	18 	4 	8 	12 	6
2001–02 	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL 	 	66 	38 	51 	89 	20 	 	15 	8 	6 	14 	6
2002–03 	Toledo Storm 	ECHL 	 	71 	27 	32 	59 	34 	 	7 	3 	5 	8 	0
2003–04 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 	 	64 	5 	10 	15 	23 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2
2004–05 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 	 	79 	18 	23 	41 	59 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 	 	74 	20 	28 	48 	61 	 	16 	4 	1 	5 	20
2006–07 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 	 	65 	26 	23 	49 	44 	 	7 	4 	3 	7 	4
2006–07 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	16 	0 	0 	0 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	35 	2 	4 	6 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	19 	1 	1 	2 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	45 	7 	5 	12 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	12 	2 	2 	4 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	72 	3 	10 	13 	12 	 	3 	1 	0 	1 	0
2010–11 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	52 	10 	21 	31 	12 	 	11 	1 	5 	6 	4
2010–11 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	14 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2011-12 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	60 	3 	5 	8 	25 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012-13 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012-13 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	32 	5 	6 	12 	6 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	2
2013-14 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	25 	5 	5 	10 	10 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013-14 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	50 	4 	2 	6 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014-15 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	38 	7 	6 	13 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014-15 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	39 	1 	1 	2 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015-16 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	58 	6 	6 	12 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	201 	13 	20 	33 	56 	 	4 	1 	0 	1 	0
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
*Matt Ellis' stats on hockeydb
Category:Born in 1981
Category:Buffalo Sabres players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Grand Rapids Griffins players
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Toledo Storm players
Category:Toronto St. Michael's Majors alumni
Category:Undrafted