MATT HELLICKSON JOINS THE CYCLONES BLUELINE FOR NEXT SEASON
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Cincinnati Cyclones, proud ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, today announced that defenseman Matt Hellickson has signed for the 2026-27 season. With his signing, Hellickson will return to professional hockey after his last appearance in 2023-24.
Hellickson is a product of Rogers, Minn. and joins the Cyclones as a draft pick of the New Jersey Devils, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft (214th overall). He spent his last three professional seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, appearing in games with the Toronto Marlies and their former ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers. Hellickson re-joins the system with the Cyclones with an impressive resume that includes two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program, and four seasons with the University of Notre Dame.
“Matt’s first pass and defensive positioning are two qualities that immediately stand out. He understands how to end plays, move pucks efficiently and consistently put his teammates in good situations,” said Head Coach Riley Weselowski. “We believe he can be a dependable top defenseman in this league and an important leader for our young and very talented defensive core. Reliability has been a hallmark of Matt’s career, and the experience he gained playing in the American Hockey League and representing the United States at the World Championship is invaluable. Competing at that level alongside some of the best players in the game gives him a perspective that will benefit our entire group.
“Matt is returning to professional hockey in the prime of his career with a fire and energy that are extremely difficult to replicate. His excitement has been contagious throughout this process and has our entire staff fired up to work with him,” he added. “Adding Matt alongside another Maple Leafs draft pick in Joe Miller gives us two talented players with valuable familiarity with Toronto’s standards and development system. Matt’s experience, hunger and leadership make him another significant addition as we continue building our roster.”
While at Notre Dame, Hellickson was a four-year member of the Fighting Irish and wore the assistant captains’ “A” in his final season (2020-21). Over the course of his collegiate career, Hellickson notched 13 goals and 39 assists (52 points) in 146 appearances. In addition, he anchored a Notre Dame blueline that won the Big Ten Conference in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Following the end of his college career, Hellickson appeared in the AHL with the Binghamton Devils, and later claimed a Bronze Medal at the 2021 IIHF Men's World Championship while representing the United States.
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