Simon Fraser tabs former NCAA standout Grassi as assistant coach

The Simon Fraser University is excited to announce that Matt Grassi will join the team as an Assistant Coach for the 2018/19 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season.

Grassi, a Burnaby native, was a BCHL All-Star with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and won a silver medal with Canada in the World Junior A Championships. He would go on to play 4 years in the NCAA with Michigan State prior to one season of professional hockey in the AHL and ECHL before retiring in 2014.

“I’m very excited to be back in university hockey,” says Grassi, who is beginning his coaching career with SFU. “Michigan State was an incredible experience, everything from the sports to the fans, it’s so much bigger than just a hockey team. Expectations are so high at that level, I think I can bring some of that experience to SFU.”

In his return to Burnaby, Matt also links up with a former coach in Mark Coletta.

“He’s a quality person,” says the SFU head coach. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to our group and brings some new ideas back to the team. He should be able to relate to our guys well and help junior players make the transition to university.”

On returning to his roots in Burnaby, Matt says there was no other place.

“I was away for so long, from junior to college to pro, it’s a special place I wanted to come back to because of all my family and friends. The city has really grown over the years.”

SFU kicks off the exhibition schedule on September 15th against Trinity Western University before facing off against UBC, University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks later in the month.

The BCIHL regular season opens on October 5th, and SFU's Home Opener takes place on October 13th with an already highly anticipated rematch against the defending BCIHL champions TWU.