Getting to Know Comets’ New Assistant Coach, Matt Carkner
Sep 25, 2025Utica, NY – In late June, it was announced that the Comets had brought on a new Assistant Coach and last week, Matt Carkner was kind enough to share his story.
Carkner grew up south of Ottawa in Winchester, Ontario, a small farming community of about 2,400 people. What might come as a surprise to many is that the former NHL defenseman did not come from a hockey family, but having several friends who played and with outdoor rinks all over town, he acquired a passion for the game at a young age and relished every chance he got to be on the ice.
At the age of 17, Carkner joined the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) where he would spend four seasons from 1997-2001, the last two of which he served as captain. It was there where Carkner developed into what he described as a “big, ‘steady eddie’ defenseman” which carried him through a long and successful career.
Carkner spoke intimately about his time in Peterborough, praising both the organization as well as his billet families. He recalled two families in particular, the Farthing’s and the Lustig’s, who treated him like their own son and made his experience even more memorable. He also spoke highly of his teammates, particularly guys like Mike Martone whom Carkner credits for showing him the ropes of being a captain.
Matt Carkner’s hockey journey was one of sheer grind and perseverance. He was selected in the second round and 58th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1999 NHL Draft, but would not play his first NHL game until 2006. After two more seasons with the Petes, he made his professional debut with the Cleveland Barons in the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2001. Looking back at the start of his pro career, he said, “I was big and strong. I had 335 PIMs [penalty minutes] and (was) fighting everybody, but I was too heavy and then had to reinvent myself. I lost a bunch of weight and was expected to get my opportunity my second year, but then I blew my knee out. Then when I came back from that, the (NHL) rules changed, no more two-line pass or clutch-and-grab so I had to learn how to skate (faster). By the time I was ready to make the NHL I was really hungry for it. It was almost like the longer I had to wait the more surreal the opportunity was when I got it.”
That opportunity finally came on February 6th, 2006 with the San Jose Sharks. He recalled joining the team just in time for its Super Bowl party the day before and the warm welcome he received from Sharks’ captain Joe Thornton along with the rest of the team. Carkner described his debut as surreal to the point that he felt like a spectator. It wasn’t until about halfway through the game that he felt like he had settled in and would go on to record an assist in an eventual 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.
After his debut with San Jose, Carkner would spend more time in the AHL and didn’t make the NHL full time until the 2009-10 season. Reflecting on the ups and downs during his career, he said “You go through that in your head, ‘Am I ever going to get a shot? Am I going to make it? I have to provide for the family.’ All that kind of stuff pops in your head, but ultimately I just kept telling myself, ‘I am good enough.’ I was really settled that I was going to make it one way or another.”
During that 2009-10 season, Carkner spent the entire year in the NHL with his hometown team, the Ottawa Senators, although he did admit to being a Red Wings fan growing up. He scored his first NHL goal three games into the season and racked up 190 penalty minutes over 81 games. For those who remember Carkner as a player, the words ‘tough’ and ‘rugged’ likely come to mind. Reflecting on his playing style, he said, “I never went into junior hockey thinking I was tough until I laid out one of the other team’s players and got in a fight my first shift, and the rest is history…I was always a player first and when the opportunity arose I could meet the challenge. I knew it was a tool to give myself an opportunity…Over my career I developed a sense of how that job is done while being a steady, solid, contributing defenseman.”
There were several people along the way that helped Carkner become that type of player he described. He gives credit first and foremost to his brother-in-law, Bryan Helmer, an AHL Hall of Famer and a guy who he says has always been in his corner. Once he was in the NHL full time, he gave mention to Ottawa Senators’ defenseman Chris Phillips whom Carkner always looked up to and said was the type of person who helped him believe in himself.
When asked about some of his favorite memories from his playing days, Carkner reminisced about the time spent with former teammates, particularly on road trips. Whether it was riding the bus in the minors, playing poker on the plane in the NHL, or pranking guys at the team hotel, his career is chock full of memories. One story he recalled vividly was pranking former Senators teammate, Chris Neil. Carkner’s tomfoolery consisted of taking the light bulbs out of his lamps, applying toothpaste to his door handle, and moving his bed into the shower. Neil went on a rampage to discover the culprit but to no avail, according to Carkner.
After three full seasons with the Senators, Carkner signed a three-year contract with the New York Islanders in July of 2012, playing two seasons with the NHL club and then two seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers as they were previously known. After retiring in July of 2016, Carkner remained in the Islanders organization when he was hired as an assistant coach for the Sound Tigers where he would spend the next five seasons. He discussed what he learned as he transitioned from player to coach. “Number one was realizing how much work it was to get the guys prepared on a day to day basis…When you’re on the other side as a player, you have no idea (what the coaches do), you’re just focused on what you can do; but as a coach, you’re seeing everything and you want to make sure the guys are in the right mindset and have the right direction…Also how to teach, how to send the message to the players. You have to be able to relate to the guys in certain ways that gets the message across. (Just like) as a player, as a coach you need to create a bond with your teammates and for me that’s very important.”
Carkner joins the Comets after a three-year stint as the General Manager and Head Coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. He expressed his excitement for the season ahead, viewing it as an opportunity to provide guidance and to help the team grow. He also shared his thoughts on what goes into helping younger players develop. “You need to learn how to win and be a team first before you can worry about your individual success. One doesn’t come without the other. That’s what translates to the next level. I love it when I see players that I’ve coached raising a Stanley Cup, that’s the most rewarding thing you can go through (as a coach). That’s part of the result of all the work and process you put into it.”
That work has already begun for Carkner and the rest of the Comets’ coaching staff who have been down in New Jersey at NHL training camp since last week. While hockey has been a centerpiece for much of his life, there are a few ways he likes to decompress away from the rink. When not spending time with his wife Kary or their two sons, Chase and Corbin, Carkner thoroughly enjoys being at the lake whether he’s boating or especially fishing. He also considers golf to be one of his favorite hobbies, but joked that he wasn’t joining the PGA Tour anytime soon.
You can catch Carkner on the Comets’ bench in just a couple weeks as they get set for the season opener against the Cleveland Monsters at the Adirondack Bank Center on October 10th at 7 PM. For tickets, please visit www.uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.