Matt Pelech

Matt Pelech (born September 4, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Graz 99ers in the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). He formerly played with the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Pelech was a draft pick of the Calgary Flames, selected in the first round, 26th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut in 2009 as a defenceman with the Flames. He has since switched to right wing and become known as an enforcer. His brothers Adam Pelech and Michael Pelech, also play professionally.
==Playing career==
Pelech played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sarnia Sting, London Knights and Belleville Bulls. In 2007, he was assigned to the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League. He was recalled by the Flames on April 4, 2009, making his NHL debut that night against the Minnesota Wild. Pelech recorded his first career point, an assist, three nights later against the Los Angeles Kings. He joined the Abbotsford Heat for the 2009–10 season when the Flames relocated their AHL team. He was sidelined in January 2010 with a blood clot in his arm, an ailment team doctors initially feared was season ending. Pelech recovered in time to join the Heat for their playoff run, appearing in all 13 of the team's post-season games.
On July 6, 2011, Pelech was signed by the San Jose Sharks for one year, spending the season with their AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks. He appeared in 59 games during the 2011-12 AHL season, where he scored eight points and had 168 PIM. He was an alternate captain in Worcester, and was voted the team's "unsung hero". Pelech, who was moved to the right wing and developed into an enforcer role in the Sharks organization, returned to Worcester for the 2012-13 season where he recorded seven points in 58 games and added a career-high 238 PIM. He also appeared in two games with San Jose.
The Sharks again re-signed Pelech to a one-year contract prior to the 2013-14 NHL season. Following a training camp in which he worked to prove he could be more than just a fighter, Pelech was initially assigned to the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL, but was recalled to San Jose for the season opening game when the Sharks' coaching staff felt the team required a greater physical presence. He scored his first NHL goal – the game winner – against goaltender Roberto Luongo in a 4–1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on October 10, 2013.
On May 13, 2015, Pelech agree to a one-year contract with Schwenningen Wild Wings of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga [DEL] of Germany. He made 49 appearances in his sole season with the Wild Wings, tallying eight goals and twelve assists. In April 2016, Pelech inked a two-year deal with fellow DEL team Hamburg Freezers. However, the Freezers folded the following month. In September 2016, he signed with the Graz 99ers of the Austrian Hockey League
==Personal==
His younger brothers Michael (born 1989) plays in the ECHL for the Utah Grizzlies and Adam (born 1994) plays in the NHL with the New York Islanders. They are nephews of Former Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis.
==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
2003–04 	Sarnia Sting 	OHL 		62 	4 	6 	10 	39 		5 	0 	1 	1 	12
2004–05 	Sarnia Sting 	OHL 		31 	1 	5 	6 	74 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Sarnia Sting 	OHL 		18 	0 	2 	2 	59 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	London Knights 	OHL 		34 	1 	7 	8 	80 		19 	0 	0 	0 	48
2006–07 	Belleville Bulls 	OHL 		58 	5 	30 	35 	171 		12 	0 	3 	3 	22
2007–08 	Quad City Flames 	AHL 		77 	3 	6 	9 	141 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Quad City Flames 	AHL 		59 	3 	6 	9 	130 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		5 	0 	3 	3 	9 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Abbotsford Heat 	AHL 		42 	2 	8 	10 	125 		13 	0 	4 	4 	31
2010–11 	Abbotsford Heat 	AHL 		59 	3 	2 	5 	198 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011-12 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		59 	1 	7 	8 	168 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012-13 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		32 	3 	1 	4 	73 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012-13 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	7 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013-14 	San Jose Shakrs 	NHL 		6 	1 	0 	1 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013-14 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		32 	3 	1 	4 	73 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014-15 	Utah Grizzlies 	ECHL 		15 	2 	9 	11 	44 		11 	1 	4 	5 	53
2014-15 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		39 	0 	2 	2 	80 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015-16 	Schwenninger Wild Wings	DEL 		49 	8 	12 	20 	102 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016-17 	Graz 99ers 	EBEL 		48 	4 	10 	14 	139 		5 	0 	3 	3 	8
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		13 	1 	3 	4 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==External links==
* Matt Pelech's stats on hockeydb
Category:Born in 1987
Category:Abbotsford Heat players
Category:Belleville Bulls alumni
Category:Calgary Flames draft picks
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:London Knights alumni
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Quad City Flames players
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:Sarnia Sting alumni
Category:Worcester Sharks players
Category:Schwenninger Wild Wings players
Category:Graz 99ers players