A jump in competition is always a difficult one for any hockey player, but Vancouver Canucks draft pick Matthew Lansing is seeing his game grow at a rapid rate in his first year of college hockey.
It took Lansing a bit of time to adjust from playing against fellow teenagers to suiting up against 24- and 25-year-olds, but his first season in the NCAA has been one of growth and development.
In his draft year, Lansing played for the Waterloo Black Hawks and Fargo Force of the USHL, while also skating in 13 games with the United States National Team Development Program. He played for Team USA at the U18 World Championships and had plenty of options for which school he would attend for the 2025-26 season.
The 2025 seventh-round pick visited a few schools, and Quinnipiac was the last one he went to.
“After the visit. I mean, it was just a feeling thing. I had a feeling right away that it was the right school for me. And as of right now, it seems like I made a pretty good decision,” said Lansing.
“The setup that we have here, all the players live in houses, and it’s unbelievable. The school is amazing. Our facilities are incredible. It’s just been so amazing.”
Lansing credits his strength coach, Brijesh Patel, for helping him unlock a new level of strength in his game as he transitioned to playing against bigger, stronger competition.
When Lansing is playing at his best, he is getting in on forechecks with power and is using his speed through the neutral zone to make quick transitions up the ice.
“I definitely think that my physical game has adjusted pretty well. At the start of the season, I wasn’t using my body as well, especially when I had the puck. I was not as comfortable holding on to it for longer amounts of time. And I think I’ve done a pretty good job adjusting to that. I’ve really grown and am getting comfortable with holding onto the puck a little bit and just creating some time and space for myself, and I think my offensive game just, I just feel like I’ve been creating a lot more as the season has gone on,” said Lansing.
His first season of NCAA hockey has been good for his physical development, but Lansing has also appreciated how his mental side has grown. With the NCAA season being so much shorter than the USHL’s, Lansing is seeing the importance of a week of practice before the important weekend games that he experiences in college hockey.
Growing his game in his freshman year has been aided by Canucks development coach Mike Komisarek, who Lansing calls “a great resource” for him since he was drafted by the Canucks last summer.
“He came down to a few of the games, and he’s been really positive with me, which has helped a lot, as opposed to being super critical. That has helped me a lot,” said Lansing.
“He’s consistently giving me pointers and trying to help me as much as he can. He’s been awesome.”
After a tough weekend in the ECAC tournament, Quinnipiac will learn its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday, March 22nd, when the tournament bracket is unveiled.
The 2026 Men’s NCAA Division Tournament begins with regional games from March 26–29th, and the tournament concludes with the Frozen Four in Las Vegas, with semifinals on April 9th and the championship on April 11th.
