September 16, 2008

Macdonald Returning to Cyclones

CINCINNATI, Ohio -– The 2008 Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones announced this afternoon that they have agreed to terms with former St. Lawrence defenseman Matt Macdonald for the 2008-09 season. The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators.

Macdonald, 25, played in 34 regular season games for the Cyclones a year ago, notching three goals and eleven assist for 18 points, 68 penalty minutes and a +15 plus/minus rating. Matt also spent 22 games with Rockford (AHL), collecting two assists and 39 penalty minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL) top affiliate. He also played in all 22 Kelly Cup playoff games for the champion Cyclones, registering two goals and six assists for eight points, 39 penalty minutes and a +3 plus/minus rating.

Macdonald’s highlight game of the season came in Game One of the American Conference Finals versus South Carolina (May 9), when he slapped home a goal and added two assists in a 6-2 triumph. During the regular season, he had a four-game point streak late in December just before his three month long stint in Rockford.

The six-foot-one, 195 pound native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, enters his fourth year professional and third with the Cyclones. Macdonald has played in 191 pro games and has ten goals to go with 51 assists for 61 points and 341 penalty minutes. His career began with Lubbock (CHL) in 2005-06 and has been under contract with the Cyclones since then. Matt played collegiately at St. Lawrence University, where he won four varsity letters. He played in 118 games and netted 14 goals and 16 assists for 30 points. As a senior (2004-05), scored the series-clinching goal with 1:50 to go in win against Princeton during the opening round of the ECAC playoffs.

“Matt Macdonald was one of our most improved defensemen from year one to year two,” Cyclones Head Coach/Vice President of Hockey Operations Chuck Weber said. “He is a versatile defenseman that we look forward to for big things this season.”