OHL's Overage Player of the Year Matthew Sop has signed a one-year deal with the AHL's Iowa Wild

Fresh off an amazing season in Kitchener for overage, and hometown boy, Matthew Sop. He has inked a one-year one-way contract with the Minnesota Wild's AHL affiliate, Iowa Wild, for the 2024-25 season.

Sop led the charge offensively on most nights (alongside Carson Rehkopf and Filip Mesar) for the Rangers this past season, potting home 43 goals and 90 points in 67 games, an increase in production from his 23 (goals) and 56 (points) in 2022-23.

Through his dominant play in the 2023-24 season, he took home the Leo Lalonde Trophy as the league’s Overage Player of the Year, which he was recently honored for at the Hockey Hall of Fame last week.

The boy who grew up playing mini-sticks pretending to be a Kitchener Ranger got to live out his childhood dream, playing three seasons with the club, and on most nights had the rocking crowd at the Aud jumping out of their seats.

Sop was a seventh round draft pick by Kitchener in 2019 and had to really earn his spot on the team. He spent his first season after being drafted in the OJHL with the Mississauga Chargers, which he credits as a big factor in his development.

“Obviously, going into camp I want to crack the team as a 16-year-old, but getting the opportunity that I did with the Mississauga Chargers I still to this day can’t thank my coaches there enough,” said Sop.

Iowa fans can expect a lot of speed and skill from their new signee. Sop’s the type of offensive player who isn’t afraid to get creative with the puck and use his quick hands to stickhandle his way to the middle of the ice. If he’s one-on-one with the goalie, there’s a good chance the puck hits the back of the net.

Matthew Sop attended the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp last summer as a free agent invite. Although he was never drafted by an NHL team, he will have the opportunity to showcase his potential with Iowa in the upcoming AHL season.

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