The Cincinnati Cyclones announced today that the team has re-signed forward Matt McLeod for the 2022-23 ECHL season.
McLeod, 25, joined the 'Clones ahead of last season following a year away from hockey due to the pandemic. After spending his rookie season in ECHL-Brampton, McLeod broke out in Cincinnati, going from eight points in the 2019-20 season to scoring 19 goals as part of a 40-point campaign with the Cyclones.
"I had so much fun in Cincy last year," said McLeod. "Playing at Heritage Bank Center in front of a packed house is special. I'm looking to come into this year and become an elite player in this league. I want to be able to dominate at this level and prove I belong at the next level."
"Matt McLeod is one of the fastest skaters in the ECHL," said Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jason Payne. "Speed is his weapon and it can be a challenge for him at times as well. We saw how good he was last season and he got better as the year went on because he was learning to slow down in certain situations. Less is more sometimes and I really believe that Matt can continue to raise his ceiling and potential in this game."
Matt McLeod
Position: Forward
Drafted: Undrafted
Age: 25 (10/22/1996)
Born: Mississauga, Ontario
HT: 6'1” | WT: 192 lbs
Shoots: Right
- Scored 19 goals and 40 points across 59 regular season games with Cincinnati last season, including a stretch of five goals in the final six games of December. Finished sixth on the team in goals.
- Earned a three game call-up to AHL-Bakersfield in January. Made his AHL debut January 19th against Tucson.
- Previously played his rookie season with the now defunct-Brampton Beast in 2019-20. Posted four goals and four assists in 39 games.
- Played four years of Division One hockey at Canisius College from 2015-2019. Tallied eight goals and 25 points with Golden Griffins. Won an AHA Conference regular season title with Canisius in the 2016-17 season.
- Split his junior playing career between Toronto and Oakville in the OJHL. Best season came in 2013-14 when McLeod split time between the two teams, producing 11 goals and 35 points.
- Older brother to both Ryan and Michael McLeod; two NHL draft picks. Michael currently plays for New Jersey while Ryan played for Edmonton last season, scoring three goals during the team's playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.
