Barely a month after he and the Sudbury Wolves parted ways over a contract dispute, Dave Matsos has landed a new job and he’s pretty happy about it, though, he admitted, he is going to miss the Nickel City.
Matsos will join the Hamilton Bulldogs as an associate coach.
We reached out to Matsos after the announcement was made and you could hear the excitement in his voice.
He joins long-time friend and former Sudbury Wolves winger Steve Staios, who is Hamilton’s GM, and it’s a bit of a return to familiar territory, as Matsos is a Burlington native.
“It helped in the decision in a sense that I know what I’m getting involved with, and what kind of people I’m getting involved with,” he said. “There were other opportunities and avenues that we talked about, my family and I talked about, but I just really know the quality of people and the dedication and the hard work I was getting into with Hamilton and that’s why it was the easiest choice for us.”
Taking a quick peek at the calendar shows the Hamilton Bulldogs are in Sudbury for the first time on Dec. 15, but that’s something Matsos has yet to think about.
“I haven’t looked yet, I’m going to enjoy today, it’s a good day for us,” he said. “We’re happy how this all transpired and how quickly it transpired.”
After a brief period of uncertainty, he can finally now look back and reflect on his time in Sudbury.
“This was a tough one because we fell in love with the city and the team,” he said. “The opportunity that was handed to me, I’ll forever be grateful for. We’ve become northerners, my kids quad, fish and shoot guns now.
“We’re really sad to be leaving the city to be honest, but can’t thank the organization enough for how they treated us. We’re really going to miss Sudbury, but it’s a new chapter and we’re excited for that new chapter now.”
And now he turns his attention to his new job, helping Hamilton push past their first round playoff exit this past season.
“I think this team is going to be a real tough team in the East, I do. They got a lot of returning guys, they got some stars. They have a tremendous coaching staff that we’re going to try to make it right here and I’m going to help out as best I can,” said Matsos.
Long time Wolves broadcaster Stew Kernan made the move down to Hamilton to call games for the Bulldogs last season and in a text exchange says he is looking forward to being around Matsos again, calling him “a real good guy.”
