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Former Massena resident lifts NHL's Stanley Cup as part of Chicago Blackhawks coaching staff

Posted 6/17/15

Matt Meacham, formerly of Massena and now the Chicago Blackhawks video coach, lifts the Stanley Cup on Monday after the team won the 2015-16 NHL title. Photo from Meacham's Facebook page. By ANDY …

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Former Massena resident lifts NHL's Stanley Cup as part of Chicago Blackhawks coaching staff

Posted

Matt Meacham, formerly of Massena and now the Chicago Blackhawks video coach, lifts the Stanley Cup on Monday after the team won the 2015-16 NHL title. Photo from Meacham's Facebook page.

By ANDY GARDNER

A former Massena man fulfilled a lifelong dream on Monday as part of the coaching staff for the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

“It’s a dream come true. Anyone that grew up playing hockey or watching hockey, it’s the Holy Grail,” said Matt Meacham, who is now the Blackhawks’ video coach.

His name will be engraved into the cup along with the players and his fellow coaches.

“When I was younger, I definitely wanted my name on the cup, to be able to lift that,” he said.

The Blackhawks won the cup four games to two in a best-of-seven series. The final game was Monday in Chicago with a final score of 2-0.

Meacham acts as a strategic advisor during the games. He says he watches both teams live on a computer and takes notes about their styles, passing this information to the coaches between periods.

“Every team is different. We just came off a series with Anaheim where they, they’re a physical team. Everytime they could, they wanted to check you into the boards. Tampa Bay, they’re more of a young team, a fast team,” Meacham said. “They wanted to hold onto the puck. They had a great forecheck, tons of speed.”

In addition to his job during live games, he does what he calls “pre-scouting opponents.”

“I watch previous games and figure out everything from power play to penalty kill, anywhere I can see a tendency they may have,” Meacham said.

He said he loves working with the Chiacgo squadron.

“This organization is first class, from the front office, all the way to the coaching staff and leadership led by Jonathan Toews,” he said. “To have that kind of leadership, it’s incredible.”

Meacham got his start in hockey playing for Massena Minor Hockey as a kid, then playing three years of varsity for the Massena Red Raiders. He attended college at SUNY Cortland, which got his foot in the arena door.

While there, he landed an internship with the Ottawa Senators’ American Hockey League team. After spending six years there, he made some connections and got an interview in Chicago.

“They had just won the Stanley Cup the year before … just to be interviewed was a great honor to me,” Meacham said.

“I was shocked,” he said. “Just like the night I lifted the cup, it was something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Meacham resides in Chicago with his wife. They are planning a brief return to Massena this summer, he said.