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Former Hamilton Bulldog Matt Luff enjoying the professional ranks
(Courtesy: Milwaukee Admirals/MGN)

Former Hamilton Bulldog Matt Luff enjoying the professional ranks

HAMILTON, Ontario — One of the original members of the Hamilton Bulldogs, right winger Matt Luff, left a positive mark on the franchise and is now taking part in his fourth professional season, his first with the Nashville Predators’ organization.

A native of Oakville, Ontario, Luff began his OHL career in 2014-15 as a rookie for the Belleville Bulls. In 64 games that season, Luff scored nine goals and added 22 assists for 31 points. At season’s end, Luff and his team headed west to Hamilton, becoming the Bulldogs, a continuation of a team that was originally part of the AHL.

In 2015-16, the newly relocated team had great success, and a big part of that was courtesy of Luff.

In 61 games for the Bulldogs that season, Luff tripled his goals total with 27 tallies. He added 30 assists to that total for 57 points, nearly double his total from the previous season in Belleville. Unfortunately, despite his skill, work ethic, and 6-foot-2 frame, Luff was left undrafted by the NHL. However, entering his final season of major-junior, Luff received some very good news.

On Sept. 22, 2016, just prior to the start of the regular season, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings came calling, signing Luff as a free agent. In response, Luff would prove the Kings they were right to sign him.

The next evening in the season-opener, Luff netted a hat-trick in Mississauga in route to a convincing 7-0 victory over the Steelheads. Luff would go on to score 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points that season. He even played in a couple of games for Ontario – no, not the province; the city in California – to play for the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Reign.

The 2017-18 season would mark Luff’s first full season of professional hockey, notching 29 points in 67 games for the Reign. In 2018-19, the Oakville native broke out with 31 points in 36 games before being called up to the NHL. There, in 33 games with the Kings, Luff would score eight goals and three assists. Not bad.

Luff would spend parts of three seasons with the Kings, although he wasn’t able to duplicate his success from his first call-up.

This past offseason, Luff signed with the Nashville Predators, playing for the club’s AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. In five games thus far, he has a goal and an assist.

The OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs haven’t been around for very long, but they have found a great amount of success. That success includes winning the OHL Championship in 2018. While Luff was no longer a part of the team during this time, his contributions nonetheless helped the Bulldogs reach the championship pinnacle, and that is something the Hamilton Bulldogs and their fanbase will always be proud of.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.