The ECHL has a proven 26-year history of developing talent that has moved on to play in the American Hockey League and National Hockey League.  Whereas some players may be fazed at the fact they have to hone their game in the ECHL in order to get to the next level, Matthew Pistilli of the Florida Everblades is not one of those players.

Sitting second in the ECHL Eastern Conference and third overall in League standings, the Florida Everblades have been powered to the top by a high-firing offence that has eight players showing double digits in the points column.  One of those players, who also happens to lead the League in points, is Matt Pistilli, a 25-year old from Montreal, Quebec.  “I got off to a good start this season, and got some good bounces.  I’m lucky as we have a really good team in Florida,” said Pistilli.

When asked what has made his season so prolific for the winger, besides his teammates, he concedes that a change in perspective helped.  “I had a job back home during the summer and would work out hard by myself.  Working a ‘regular’ job gave me a different perspective and made me appreciate my job as a hockey player that much more.”

Now leading the league in scoring, Pistilli has added a new element to his game.  “When you are leading the league in points, guys kind of look up to you for the leadership role in terms of offence when the team needs a spark.  At the same time I try to not put to much pressure on myself.  I try to play my game and hope that the bounces keep going our way. “

The 2013-14 season is Pistilli’s second stint with the Everblades, following a trade last season with South Carolina.  Since his return, Pistilli has recorded a collective 91 points (33 G, 58 A) in 72 games played (including playoffs).  The high level of player movement and turnover in the ECHL often makes it difficult to maintain a core group, something that has not hindered Florida’s constant success in the standings. “The Florida Everblades are just an A-1 organization.  They take care of us really well and I think in general Florida is a spot where guys want to play.  We’re all fortunate we have a great coach in Greg Poss who really knows hockey and prepares us well.”

The Florida Everblades have found great success this season stemming from not only Pistilli but from different players across the dressing room; something Pistilli is quick to point out.  “Our goalie, a young guy named Kristers Gudlevskis is very good and also a hot prospect within the Tampa Bay organization.  He has won us a game or two in the last month where we haven’t been on the ball.  He’s always been there for us.  We have a good mix of guys stepping up for us this year.”

Playing with talented young prospects is nothing new for Pistilli who skated alongside Claude Giroux while both were starring in the QMJHL for the Gatineau Olympiques.  “Not everyone can say they were lucky enough to play with one of the top guys in the NHL.  It was special for me, I got a chance to play with him in 2007-08 and he gave me a lot of confidence that year.  Claude is a great guy so I am happy he has been having lots of success these past few seasons.”  

After a slow start in the QMJHL, Pistilli was still able to score 265 points in 259 games to go along with a plus/minus rating of plus 66.  To top off his time in junior, Pistilli was selected as the 2008-09 CHL (Canadian Hockey League) Humanitarian of the Year for outstanding contributions towards his community.  “I didn’t go to school that year so I had a lot of free time on my hands.  So I just decided to get involved a lot with the local kids and less fortunate families; it was a great way to spend my free time and a really cool award to receive.”

Turning pro at a young age can be a large adjustment for players, something that makes Pistilli thankful for his involvement as a PHPA Player Representative.  “Everything that is involved with the off-ice side of hockey you don’t really get in Junior, you pretty much just play hockey and everything else is taken care of for you.  I was pretty fortunate that in my second year when I was playing for Charlotte, our Player Representative retired at the end of the season which gave me the opportunity to attend the PHPA Annual Meeting in his place.”  

After attending the meetings, things changed for the young professional.  “I even went back the next year.  It was great and I learned a lot about the business side of hockey.  It is really cool and shows you that there are so many awesome benefits for players to take advantage of like the Career Enhancement Program (CEP) for example.  I was fortunate to get to go as a young guy and essentially learn everything I could.  There is a lot of stuff that young guys should be more aware of.”

From the depths of hockey loving Quebec, to the hockey cautious market of Florida, professional hockey has been on the rise in popularity Pistilli notes.  “I think that hockey has definitely gotten more popular in recent years in the US.  It seems like everyone is talking a bit more about it, especially in the last couple of years with the Stanley Cup Finals we’ve had has given great exposure to the game in the US.”  Pistilli does stress that you can never truly leave Canada behind.  “Going from Shawinigan or Gatineau to Florida, it definitely is a different atmosphere.  We don’t have as many hockey hungry people in Florida but we are fortunate in Florida to have a lot of people from up North who move here and really enjoy hockey.”

When asked what is next for the talented forward, Pistilli shared his aspirations, “I just turned 25, and I think I still have the chance to push my hockey career as far as it goes.  Obviously everyone wants to play in the National Hockey League, and I want to get there too.  My number one goal is to practice hard every day and get better and better to see how far I can take this train.”

Only time will tell if Pistilli will take his game back to the AHL level and beyond, but in the meantime the ECHL’s leading goal scorer looks to continue his torrid pace and rise through hockey’s ranks.