Leeds Knights bring back 'team guy' Matt Barron for second NIHL National season
HE played through injury, he played through illness. He blocked shots, he did whatever it took for the team to win.
No surprise then, that Matt Barron is returning for a second season with NIHL National league champions, Leeds Knights.
For head coach Ryan Aldridge, the 25-year-old forward was among the top three players he wanted to bring back for the 2024-25 campaign. With the player himself revelling in his first time abroad, it was simple conversation.
Many import forwards in the second tier are expected to come in and lead the way when it comes to points scoring - Milton Keynes Lightning’s Rory Herrman and Hull Seahawks’ Emil Svec just two such examples in 2023-24.
But Barron was never expected to perform that kind of role. Make no mistake, he still contributed plenty when it came to putting up the points - posting 39 goals and 46 assists in 64 appearances - but his game, his role within the team was about much more than that for Aldridge.
And it was something that quickly gained appreciation throughout the entire Knights locker room and fanbase.
“He is the epitome of what a team guy should be about,” explained Aldridge, who knew Barron previously through the player’s father. “With Matt as one of our three imports, it was different in the sense that I knew what I was getting to an extent.
“I knew what kind of person I was getting and he didn’t disappoint in any way, shape or form. He was immense from start to finish.”
Towards the end of the season, Aldridge revealed, Barron was hampered by a foot injury - at one point suspected to be broken - but he refused to have it X-rayed until the league title had been secured for a second successive year.
Earlier in the season, he was laid low by illness but - again - refused to stand down, making him one of the few ever-presents for the Knights in another memorable campaign.
“He just does whatever it takes for his team to be successful. He’ll block shots - probably the most any of our forwards did - he could score, he was a great set-up man - that’s why he was among the top three players that I had to have back next year.”