Former Victoria Royal Matthew Phillips scores first career NHL goal against Calgary Flames

A former Victoria Royal is finally getting a shot at the NHL level and his storyline is like one out of a Hallmark movie.

Washington Capitals forward Matthew Phillips has been one of the NHL’s early feel good stories this season after making their opening night roster as a late bloomer at age 25.

And last night, he scored his first career NHL goal in a win against his former team, the Calgary Flames. He also registered an assist.

In a night of Victoria-related milestones, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, who is from Victoria, also earned his first career win as a head coach in the NHL.

It was sweet revenge for the diminutive forward to score his first against Calgary. During time with the franchise, he only dressed for five games as a Flame, despite being drafted by them back in 2016 and playing five seasons for their AHL affiliate, the Stockton heat.

The Flames developed him, but never gave him a chance.

He has his chance now.

Phillips beats the odds and puts Flames career in the past

Matthew Phillips has beat the odds by making the NHL, and has decisively put his Calgary Flames career in the past.

The former Victoria Royals star stands 5’8 and just 160 pounds, making him the lightest player in NHL history. Despite his skills, he has always had the odds stacked against him.

It’s that stature that has made his journey to the NHL one with a rather steep hill. Phillips is supremely skilled with great vision, soft hands, and a quick release that can catch goalies off guard.

Just ask reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark:

Not bad. But despite dominating the WHL with the Royals, he still had plenty to prove.

Phillips posted the best regular season in Royals history, scoring 48 goals and 64 assists for 112 points in just 71 games back in 2017-18. After being drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 6th round in 2016, he began his slow march towards the NHL.

But first, he had to conquer the AHL.

Which is exactly what he did. He was one of the best players in the league over the past two seasons, scoring 67 goals and 144 points in 131 games for the Stockton Heat, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames.

But when he got called up last year, former Flames head coach Darryl Sutter was managing the team in his classic abrasive style. It can generate results early, but tends to wear out over time. It had long worn out by the time Phillips arrived, and despite a team struggling for offense, Sutter was resistant to giving the skilled youngsters a chance.

That was demonstrated distastefully in a rather petty post-game press conference, after rookie Jakob Pelletier played in his first NHL game, realizing a life long dream.

That gives you a little peek into what Phillips was dealing with.

Flames fans all over the nation were clamoring for a chance for the youngsters, including Matthew Phillips. That opportunity barely came, as he skated roughly 9 minutes apiece in his two NHL games last year.

It seemed like a fair chance was never going to come, and Phillips wisely moved on to an organization willing to give his skill, hockey sense, and high work rate a real opportunity.

It’s what makes that goal so sweet. Philips is without a doubt used to proving people wrong having answered questions about his size his entire life. With the Flames it was no different – players under 5’10 very rarely make the NHL.

Many undersized players have skill, vision, work rate, and IQ. And most are unable to succeed at the NHL level.

Phillips, for now, has his toe in the door. His journey is far from finished, and he’ll have to prove he belongs in the NHL every single day.

But for now, he’s found an organization that’s willing to give him a chance.

All he can do is take his shot, just as he did top corner Tuesday night.