Want to play pro hockey in Europe?
After completing a successful NCAA collegiate career for New England College, Cheyne began his pro career in Europe in BeNeLeague for the Liege Bulldogs. During his tenure with Liege, Cheyne was one of the top players in the league for 3 consecutive seasons. He currently plays for Kiruna AIF in HockeyEttan.
Player's Name: Cheyne Matheson
Which club do you play this season 2019-20?
Kiruna AIF in HockeyEttan, Sweden.
What is your favorite part about playing for your club/organization?
Great teammates, and amazing equipment managers and supporters.
How many years of pro have you played in Europe?
4 seasons
Describe your overall experience of living & playing pro hockey in Sweden. What is everyday life like outside of the arena in Kiruna?
Since I didn’t work a job, I would spend my time working out, practicing and socializing with the guys. Swedish culture seemed very similar to home in Canada. Very welcoming people who enjoyed to speak English with me. Met many great friends in Kiruna, Sweden.
In your words, how would you describe the style/level of play in HockeyEttan?
This league was very fast, and more physical than I had imagined before hand. As for systems our team kind of took on our own systems for every line. We made chemistry with each other and on the ice it proved to be effective. This league had many top level teams who were looking to jump to Allsvenskan and SHL. Many of their players would come from top leagues elsewhere such as the KHL, Liiga, and the NHL.
Have you played pro hockey in other European countries as well?
Yes, Belgium.
How would you compare the leagues you've played in & what did you notice was distinctly different in each?
Sweden was much faster and skilled than Belgium. I feel that Belgium was more of a one on one league and Sweden you really need to trust and rely on your line mates to be an effective unit on the ice. One thing that may be surprising tho was that the Belgian/Dutch league averaged more fans and were much more ruthless and relentless than the fans in Sweden
How many import players are allowed per team in the league? How was it playing there with the other imports on/off the ice?
I’m pretty positive (this season) that there is no import rule just as long as your team can afford the imports. My roommate was another Canadian player and we had played against each other in juniors and in Belgium. We instantly created chemistry and ended up top of league scoring. Off the ice, we were well known in the bars and restaurants and had made many friends. We also had a good hockey house/apartment which helped.
Favorite story or 2 of yours from playing hockey in Sweden & just overseas in Europe in general?
So many to choose from.. I have to say one of the best moments was winning the Belgian Cup and scoring a few goals in the game in front of a crowd of 4000. The champagne was on the ice as the final buzzer went. The party and celebrations afterward were absolutely incredible. The Belgian beers we liked to drink were 9% so they would get me going pretty quickly. A few times I remember myself being a star at karaoke in front of tons of people. A few videos that I don’t recall 😂
One time myself and two teammates got into a brawl in the streets with hundreds of people around. us 3 against 9.. but we did pretty damn well. Something I will never forget. All in all, it could be intimidating heading to Europe when you don’t know much about where you’re going or who your going to meet etc. But it is what you make it. Just live life, get out there, get on tinder and meet some people. In no time you’ll have a whole new group of friends and teammates that you would never meet if you stayed home. So many memories that I wouldn’t change for anything.
Where do you currently reside during the summer (off season) and what do you enjoy most during the summer while you're not in-season?
During off season I go home to Wheatley, Ontario, Canada. I love the sun, working and working out through the summer. So much time spent with friends and family which is a blessing. I’ll play the odd golf round, but that’s more for fun than anything haha
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Final question: pick a favorite word or phrase you like using in the foreign countries you've played in?
Would have to be Santé, in French.. which they spoke in Belgium. And it translates basically to cheers to good health. In Sweden, our team would hear “hellvetta” Which means “what the hell” Our coach would use that quite a bit.