From the Ice to the Bench – A Coach’s Evolution With Matt Curley (Ep.22)
What unique paths lead a dedicated coach from small-town rinks to an internationally acclaimed hockey career?
Find out with us as we explore Matt Curley’s inspiring journey from Northern New York to coaching excellence, embodying the spirit of UAA Seawolf Hockey!
David Vallieres chats with Matt Curley, an alumnus turned exceptional coach, about his diverse coaching roles. Discover how his stints in the US National Team Development Program, Europe, and his heartfelt time at UAA define his approach.
Other discussions in the episode include:
- Matt Curley’s early fascination with hockey and his unique path to coaching.
- The impact of working with national-level talent at the US National Team Development Program
- The joys and challenges of leading the UAA Seawolf Hockey team
- Life and career lessons from coaching in Europe and the USHL
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Connect with Matt Curley:
About Matt Curley:
Matt Curley was named the sixth head hockey coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage on April 21, 2018. In addition to his coaching duties at UAA, Curley is heavily involved with USA Hockey. He led Team USA U-17’s to a runner-up finish at the Five Nations Cup in Germany in 2019.
Curley comes to UAA with a diverse coaching background, including stints with the USA National Development Program, USHL, NCAA, and most recently in the European ranks.
Curley has served as the head coach of the EC Red Bulls Juniors team based out of Salzburg, Austria, for the past three seasons. The team is comprised of international players under the age of 20 and competes in the Alps Hockey League. EC Red Bulls is one of two development teams, with the rest being professional, in the AHL which is comprised of 17 teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia. EC Red Bulls finished seventh in the league with a 23-17 mark and a birth in the playoffs in 2017-18. The team posted a 6-6 mark competing in a tournament with other Finish Under-20 teams.
Numerous EC Red Bulls have represented their national teams at both the junior and senior levels and at the professional level. Curley was instrumental in the development of goalie Woulter Peeters, who was a 2016 third-round NHL draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks and is currently playing in the USHL. Several other players have continued their playing careers at the NCAA and USHL ranks.
Curley started his coaching career with a two-year stint (2010-12) as an assistant coach with the US National Team Development Program working under Don Granato, who is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
He helped Team USA to a gold medal at the 2011 Under-18 World Championships in Crimmitschau, Germany, and a silver medal at the 2012 Under-17 World Championships in Windsor, Canada. Curley added two more medals at the international level with Team USA, winning silver at the 2013 Under-18 World Championships in Sochi, Russia, and a gold at the 2015 Under-18 World Championships in Zug, Switzerland. The USA National Development posted a mark of 56-54-3 in the United States Hockey League while Curley was an assistant coach.
Curley was also an assistant coach for two seasons (2013-15) at Bentley University, where the Falcons posted a 36-29-9 record during Curley’s time in Waltham, Mass.
Curley spent one year (2012-13) as an assistant coach with the Indiana Ice of the USHL, helping them to a 21-37-1 mark before moving on to Bentley.
Curley, a native of Madrid, New York, was a four-year letterwinner as a defenseman at Clarkson, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history/law and business administration. As a senior, he served as an assistant captain and led the Golden Knights to an ECAC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament Appearance.
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