The Trois-Rivieres Lions have re-signed defenseman Lukash Matthew to a contract for the 2024-25 season. Matthews joined the Lions last season after he spent three seasons at Carleton University, where he put up three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 42 games with the Ravens. Prior to joining the Ravens, Matthews spent three seasons in the CCHL with the Rockland Nationals and Kanata Lasers where he would put up 10 goals and 34 assists for 44 points in 111 games. The 23-year-old blueliner would play in 10 games with Trois-Rivieres but would not be on the team Kelly Cup Playoff Roster.
As previously mentioned, the first five signings that the Lions made on the blueline were all left-handed shots, making Matthews the first right-handed shooting defenseman to sign on the Lions’ blueline for the 2024-25 season. Heading into next season, expect Matthews to be a player who is going to catch more eyes with his defensive play than his offensive abilities. I would expect the Ontario Native to be a third-pairing/depth defenseman for the team. It will be interesting to see how the Lions navigate the rest of their off-season with six defensemen already signed, three of them having at least a year of ECHL experience and the rest still being considered rookies. The signing of Matthews brings the Lions up to 12 players signed in the ECHL, which is second behind the Fort Wayne Komets, who now have 16 signings after signing four more players earlier today.
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