Matt Ford

Matthew Ford (born October 9, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for and captaining the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL).
==Playing career==
===Amateur===
Ford started his amateur career playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League in the 2003–04 season. In 60 games, Ford posted an impressive 37 goals and 68 points to lead the Stampede and was consequently drafted in the eighth round, 256th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Ford then opted to continue his amateur career by enrolling to play collegiate hockey with the University of Wisconsin of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association the following season. Used as a role player within the Badgers, Ford never totaled more than 13 points in each of his four seasons, but helped Wisconsin win the National Championship as a sophomore in 2006.
===Professional===
Upon completion of his college career, and unsigned from the Blackhawks, Ford made his professional debut in the 2008–09 season with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL. He was signed to a professional try-out with AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on November 6, 2008, before he was returned to the Checkers on December 8, 2008. Ford was selected to the American Conference team for the ECHL's All-Star game and following a three-goal, four point performance was named the All-Stars MVP on January 21. Enduring a second stint with the Wolf Pack in late January he compiled a combined 25 games, scoring one goal and two assists. On March 11, immediately after his second spell with Hartford was ended, Ford was signed to a P.T.O contract with fellow AHL team, the Lake Erie Monsters, going scoreless in five games. Ford returned to the Checkers to complete his season with 38 points in 28 regular season games and 5 points in 6 games during the playoffs.
In the 2009–10 season, Ford re-signed with the Charlotte Checkers, but played only 3 games before he was loaned back to Lake Erie on October 30, 2009. Remaining with the Monsters for the duration of the season, Ford posted 13 goals and 27 points in 45 games while also leading with a team-high Plus/Minus of +14.
Re-signed by Lake Erie prior to the 2010–11 campaign, he was invited on a try-out to participate in the Monsters NHL affiliate, the Colorado Avalanche, training camp on September 15, 2010 before returning to Cleveland to begin the season.
On July 1, 2011, Ford was signed to his first NHL contract, agreeing to a two-way one-year deal with the Washington Capitals. Assigned to the Capitals affiliate, the Hershey Bears, Ford scored 28 points in 39 games before he was traded by the Capitals to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Kevin Marshall on February 2, 2012.
Ford was re-signed to a one-year extension with the Flyers on April 4, 2012. Assigned directly to affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, in the following 2012–13 season, he suffered from injury and a lack of production to post only 4 goals in 35 games with the Phantoms. On March 12, 2013, Ford was traded by the Flyers to the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations. He remained in the AHL to be immediately assigned to affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.
Released as a free agent by the Blue Jackets, Ford remained in the AHL signing a one-year contract with the Oklahoma City Barons on July 13, 2013. On July 2, 2015, Ford followed the Edmonton Oilers AHL affiliation, in signing a one-year AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors for the 2015–16 season. Ford led the Condors with 27 goals and 51 points in 64 games.
====Grand Rapids Griffins====
After three seasons within the Oilers AHL affiliates, Ford left as a free agent to add a veteran presence on a two-year AHL deal with the Grand Rapids Griffins, an affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings on July 12, 2016. During the 2017–18 season, Ford served as captain for the Griffins, where he recorded 22 goals and 16 assists in 72 games, ranking fourth on the team in goals and sixth in points. On June 26, 2018, the Grand Rapids Griffins signed Ford to a two-year contract extension.
==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 	Sioux Falls Stampede 	USHL 		60 	37 	31 	68 	60 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	University of Wisconsin	WCHA 		21 	5 	5 	10 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	University of Wisconsin	WCHA 		31 	5 	2 	7 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	University of Wisconsin	WCHA 		39 	7 	6 	13 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	University of Wisconsin	WCHA 		33 	4 	5 	9 	30 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Charlotte Checkers 	ECHL 		28 	21 	17 	38 	26 		6 	2 	3 	5 	21
2008–09 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		25 	1 	2 	3 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Lake Erie Monsters 	AHL 		5 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Charlotte Checkers 	ECHL 		3 	0 	2 	2 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Lake Erie Monsters 	AHL 		45 	13 	14 	27 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Lake Erie Monsters 	AHL 		76 	26 	16 	42 	46 		7 	3 	1 	4 	8
2011–12 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		39 	10 	18 	28 	47 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Adirondack Phantoms 	AHL 		31 	19 	12 	31 	31 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Adirondack Phantoms 	AHL 		35 	4 	9 	13 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Springfield Falcons 	AHL 		18 	5 	6 	11 	14 		4 	0 	0 	0 	8
2013–14 	Oklahoma City Barons 	AHL 		73 	25 	22 	47 	71 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Oklahoma City Barons 	AHL 		69 	19 	34 	53 	34 		10 	2 	7 	9 	8
2015–16 	Bakersfield Condors 	AHL 		64 	27 	24 	51 	60 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 		51 	14 	21 	35 	28 		19 	8 	4 	12 	24
2017–18 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 		72 	22 	16 	38 	42 		5 	2 	3 	5 	10
2018–19 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 		61 	11 	13 	24 	49 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Grand Rapids Griffins 	AHL 		52 	10 	17 	27 	33 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
AHL totals	AHL totals 	AHL totals		716 	206 	224 	430 	511 		45 	15 	15 	30 	58
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year	
USHL 	USHL	USHL
Rookie of the Year 	2004	
AHL 	AHL 	AHL
Calder Cup (Grand Rapids Griffins)	2017	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:1984 births
Category:Living people
Category:Adirondack Phantoms players
Category:American men's ice hockey right wingers
Category:Bakersfield Condors players
Category:Charlotte Checkers (1993–2010) players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Category:Hartford Wolf Pack players
Category:Hershey Bears players
Category:Ice hockey people from California
Category:Lake Erie Monsters players
Category:Oklahoma City Barons players
Category:Springfield Falcons players
Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players