Hard-Working Style of Matt Villalta Adds Intrigue to LA Kings’ Future in Goal

(Photo credit: Foster Snell/Ontario Reign)

While his first professional season may have ended earlier than he had hoped, the next chapter in Matt Villalta’s career has nonetheless gotten off to an opportune start.

After spending three seasons developing his craft with one of the most storied major-junior franchises in Canada, Villalta has entered the professional ranks by giving the Los Angeles Kings a dilemma: How they will make room for yet another talented goaltender.

Such a predicament may not be the biggest of priorities at this time but with his pro career now underway, Matt Villalta has made himself a worthy addition to the Kings’ prospect pool — and that’s no fluke.

For the native of Kingston, Ont., there has been a compelling increase of progress having had the right mentors guiding him along.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with three of Villalta’s coaches — each at different levels — about the netminder’s progress from major-junior to the American Hockey League …so far.

Surge on Superior

In 2016, Matt Villalta traveled 580 miles away from home to begin his major-junior career in Sault Ste. Marie to join one of the most storied franchises in Canadian major-junior hockey in the Greyhounds.

The Greyhounds, whose alumni included a few future Kings and a few future NHL All-Star netminders — John Vanbiesbrouck and Hall-of-Famer Tony Esposito, to name just two — welcomed Matt Villalta to the fold for his rookie season in the fall of 2016 and had an immediate impact, going 25-3-0 with a 2.41 goals-against average.

While he had a solid team in front of him, Villalta’s own game grew, having had the benefit of being guided by Greyhounds’ goalie coach Dan Stewart, also entering his first season with the club in 2016.

I asked Stewart what Villalta’s most notable qualities were upon his arrival to the Soo.

“For Matt, the biggest thing was his work ethic and his willingness to put in extra time into both his body and his game,” Stewart said. “Matt spent a lot of time in the gym putting extra work into his body and then a lot of time in the video room as well, watching his game and analyzing how it was going and what adjustments he needed to make. Then, he spent a lot of time on the ice putting the hard work into making those adjustments.”

As successful as he was as a rookie, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound goaltender wasn’t where he wanted to be as far as preparing for the next level. It was up to Stewart to flesh out what had worked in his netminder’s game and to phase out what didn’t.

“I think what Matt and I worked on most was patience and how to read the play — letting it develop and reacting accordingly,” Stewart noted. “He has a very good hockey sense, his hockey IQ is high and we just wanted to make sure that he was reading the play that came to him and that he wasn’t the one making the first move, so to speak, that he wasn’t committing.”

What may be the most challenging learning curve for some goaltenders is how they react after a bad game. No matter how talented, a night to forget is inevitable. Much like in life, though, how one rebounds acts as the measuring stick to the maturity of a competitor. From Dan Stewart’s vantage point, this was a matter of no concern with Villalta.

“When it came to having a bad game, he was quick to turn the page and move onto the next game while also making sure that he learned from what happened in the previous game. He approached it very much like, ‘I’m going to get back out there and show them and have success.’”

In three seasons with the Greyhounds, Villalta posted a remarkable 98-20-2 record to go in hand with a 2.67 GAA, a save percentage just under .910 and five shutouts. The netminder even led his club to an OHL-best 116 points in 2017-18 before making a run to finals.

Komet Relief

In 2019, Villalta made the transition to the pros. Despite beginning the 2019-20 season in the AHL, though, the youngster spent the majority of this stint on the bench, backing up Cal Petersen. To give him more playing time, though, the Kings assigned the former Greyhound to the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.

While his time there was brief, Villalta’s stint in Fort Wayne was an essential one as the Kingston native saw his ice time sharply increase.

Komets head coach Ben Boudreau remembers his first impression of Villalta.

“My first impression of him was that he looked like a young kid, to be honest.” he said. “Baby-faced and wide-eyed to his first professional experience.”

In his eight games with the Komets, Villalta posted a 4-3-1 record with a 3.03 GAA. Yet, while these numbers may not seem like much to write home about, Villalta nonetheless capitalized on his time with the Komets, impressing his coach along the way.

“His work ethic is as professional as they come,” Boudreau recognized. “He is dedicated to his craft which was noticeable off the top. He was in the dressing room every day with teammate Markus Phillips preparing the same way he would have in Ontario’s training camp — which I attended — usually 90 minutes before any other teammates arrived.  He prepared the same way every day. He was very focused and dedicated to his development.”

As for his on-ice numbers, they were of lesser importance to Boudreau than what made his netminder tick.

“His results were mixed during the games, but we knew his attitude would never change,” the Komets head coach emphasized. “In the following weeks, we felt he was finding his groove, which resulted in the fact he was recalled and played the rest of the season in the AHL.

“Fort Wayne is a tough place to play as a rookie. There are a lot of expectations and with that, comes pressure. I think part of the professional experience is dealing with the highs and lows, which he both experienced in his tenure to Fort Wayne.”

From the perspective of Kings’ goalie development coach Matt Millar, Villalta’s stint in Fort Wayne was a great learning experience for the youngster.

“He did a really good job going down to Fort Wayne and focusing on what he needed to do to get back to the American Hockey League, and he did that,” Millar added.

Reign of Realization

When Villalta returned to the AHL, he would see far less ice time. This trend didn’t last long, however.

On Feb. 5, 2020, the Kings traded goaltender Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford to the Toronto Maple Leafs. So, with Campbell gone, Cal Petersen was promoted to the Kings, leaving an opportunity for Villalta to enter the No. 1 role with Reign.

The 20-year-old was up for the challenge.

In spite of an adjustment period for his netminder, Millar was happy with Villalta’s performance in his new role.

“Matt was fantastic,” Millar said matter-of-factly. “I think there was a lot going on behind the scenes as he was there. We knew that someone would be going up to the NHL, so I think that was something he was dealing with. Cole Kehler was [in Ontario] in the background knocking on the door, too. [Villalta] did an unbelievable job just showing up every day and giving a full effort. The amount of energy he came off not only with his work ethic but his attitude was fantastic.

While his playing time may have been limited in backing him up, Villalta’s relationship with Petersen was solid, learning a lot from the Notre Dame alum.

“I think he had a really good partnership with Cal [Petersen],” continued Millar. “He really got a lot from Cal in terms of learning how to come in and work hard on the ice, to compete and to really challenge [each other] to raise their levels to where they’re at.”

When it was time for Petersen to get the call to the NHL, though, few, if any, worried how Villalta would fare as the Reign’s new starter. In fact, the youngster’s mindset only filled his coaches, especially Millar, with a plethora of confidence.

“When Cal was brought up [to the NHL], [Villalta] kept his mind in a really good spot and that, for him, was a key factor,” added Millar. “Just letting go from being in control and just really focusing on what he needed to do to go out and play his best hockey.”

When the AHL season was suspended due to COVID-19, Villalta posted a 10-6-2 record with the Reign with a 3.27 GAA.

We've been watching a lot of movies and TV shows as of late and we didn't realize just how many Matthew Villalta has starred in…….🌟😉 pic.twitter.com/5j8vG8doET

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) May 1, 2020

Great Goaltender, Better Individual

There may be uncertainty surrounding when the next AHL season will start but with Matt Villalta, there is no uncertainty what he has to offer both as a goaltender and as an individual.

“He’s such a great person and such a hard worker that it was a natural transition for him [from backup to starter] from the hard work he put in at practice,” Millar stressed. “And translating that right into the game, it was seamless.”

For Ben Boudreau, Villalta’s ability to resonate with the Komets staff and players in such a short period of time is nothing short of a testament to the youngster’s character.

“His attitude was the strongest point of his character,” stated Boudreau. “Mentally, he was very tough. If he had a bad game, he was on the ice early working out. He was always in the gym, eating habits were great. He deserves check marks in all the boxes you want in a professional athlete. I personally believe that his attitude and commitment away from the rink will allow Matthew to have long-term success in this sport.”

As for the individual Villalta worked most with en route to his development, Dan Stewart didn’t let his student leave Sault Ste. Marie without offering some lasting advice.

“The biggest thing that I stress with Matt is to never forget who he is and where he came from,” Stewart shared. “To make sure that he stays true to being Matthew Villalta because that’s what makes him special.”

Since he began his major-junior career four years ago, Matt Villalta has progressed beyond expectations. While he will need more time as a starter at the AHL level, the road ahead is nonetheless an auspicious one for Villalta.

Drafted in the third round (72nd overall) by the Kings in 2017, Villalta looks forward to proving that he was a steal during that June weekend in Chicago — a steal that will pay dividends for the silver-and-black in their short- and even long-term futures.

Overall, Matt Villalta has all the makings of becoming a bona fide NHL netminder. It may not happen today and it may not happen tomorrow but the lanky netminder is on the right path nonetheless. While his attitude and work ethic have certainly played positive roles in his progression, it was, and is, the guidance of Dan Stewart, Ben Boudreau and Matt Millar that are helping Matt Villalta, one day soon, realizing his childhood dreams of starring in the National Hockey League.

 

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