T-Bird alum Matt Revel returns as new assistant coach

VANCOUVER – A familiar face has re-joined the Thunderbirds as alumnus Matt Revel is back with the UBC Men's Hockey team, only this time behind the bench as the program's new full-time assistant coach.

Following the departure of Jackson Playfair who spent the past two seasons as head coach Sven Butenschon's right hand man, Revel saw an opportunity to get back into the T-Birds fold and begin what could turn out to be a prosperous coaching career.

"I'm really excited to be back with the program," said Revel who officially began his new position July 10. "I jumped on it right away, my plan was to get into coaching at some point and hopefully for this next season. I just feel honoured to have the opportunity to be at such a high level and work with guys who are a little bit older and in positions I just finished up in, to be an outlet for them and just give them support."



Graduating from UBC in 2022, Revel embarked on what he hoped would be a professional career in Europe. Having inked a contract with an Austrian based team in the International Central European Hockey League, an injury ended his season before it began, ultimately leading to him moving back home to B.C. to contemplate his future.

"I think the stars just aligned perfectly for us," said Butenschon who enters his eighth season at the helm this fall. "With Jackson moving on it's always hard finding good people, capable people, someone you trust and someone who is going to inspire the guys in that room. The fact Matt has always had a bit of a coaching mindset, he loved coming in the coaches' office and talking hockey and systems and I always knew he'd be a coach at some point. He had some injuries as a professional and was looking for a way to stay in the game. I made a couple phone calls and here we are."

His time as a Thunderbird coincided with one of the program's most prosperous in history. Over four seasons and 83 regular season games, the Abbotsford native amassed 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points, adding another 14 points in 18 playoff appearances. He was a key part of the T-Birds' offence on both the 2020 and 2022 teams which competed at the University Cup national championship tournament.



"We've punched our ticket to two nationals in my time here and we're on the verge now of not just punching our ticket but winning the league and being competitive at nationals," Revel added. "My experience playing against teams like Alberta in a three-game series in a weekend, it kind of goes by like a blur so I think my experience in those kind of situations will hopefully help out a lot."

Prior to UBC, Revel spent five years in the Western Hockey League, suiting up in 314 regular season games split between the Saskatoon Blades, Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks scoring a combined 71 goals with 101 assists for 172 points.

His young age and proximity to his playing days combined with his experience at the WHL, U SPORTS, and professional levels make him an ideal fit behind the 'Birds' bench.

"It's a big adjustment coming from junior hockey," said Revel. "Coming to school with housing, with academics, there's a lot of things you have to figure out on your own and kind of go in blindly to. So I think in that sense with the first years I'll be able to help a ton. I'm really looking forward to that because I know how stressful that can be with finding your own place and adding in academics to playing hockey as well. It's a lot on your plate in your first year."



Butenschon agrees that recent experience is vital to helping the team's younger players in particular, both on and off the ice.

"It's huge, it's part of the reason he's here. There were a lot of interesting candidates for the role, a lot of fascinating and intriguing names. But the one thing that really excites me is that he's been through everything those guys have been through. When he got here, the program was fighting to make the playoffs every year. But with the help of Matt and guys like Tyler Sandhu and Rylan Toth, they've elevated the program to another level and now he gets to continue that messaging and that drive for excellence and the push for a national title."

As one of Butenschon's first recruits to the program back in 2017, Revel has now come full circle as a Thunderbird and is excited to experience things from a different perspective.
 
"I've definitely learned a lot since I transitioned out and moved onto the staff side of it. I think that just shows how good of a job Sven has done, taking out a lot of the noise and just letting us play and go to school and focus on those things. There are a lot of things I never really considered being a player and I'm seeing all those sides of it now and I really enjoy that side of it."

"Watching those guys grow as young men is super cool," Butenschon added. "To be able to add Matt to the coaching staff, it's just another milestone and the maturation of a young man. There are a lot of cool aspects to it."

The T-Birds open up the 2023-24 Canada West regular season at home on Friday, September 29 against the Alberta Golden Bears.