At 5’6” tall Matt Mullin beat the odds as a goaltender. He wasn’t the type of netminder that made saves by having the puck hit him, he attacked every puck, daring it to get by him. It didn’t very often.
Mullin grew up playing in the Guelph Minor Hockey Association before being drafted 23rd overall in 1991 by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. That same year he won the gold medal at the Canada Winter Games as a member of Team Ontario. In the OHL he would play for the Spitfires and the Sudbury Wolves, twice named an OHL all-star.
In 1996 he joined the University of Guelph Gryphons hockey team and had an immediate impact. He was named the OUAA Rookie of the Year and helped lead the team to its best ever league record of 21-4-1. In the OUAA title game they downed York 3-0 behind the shutout goaltending of Mullin, and then went looking for the school’s first ever national championship. In the final at Maple Leaf Gardens against the University of New Brunswick Reds, the Gryphons jumped out to a quick lead then turned it over to Mullin to take them home. UNB tried desperately to tie the game outshooting the Gryphons 40-22 but Mullin wouldn’t break. Mullin, along with defenceman J. P. Davis were name OUAA all-stars and CIAU All-Canadians. Mullin was also awarded the Senator Joseph A. Sullivan Trophy as the Outstanding Player in Canada. “It is my greatest memory in hockey for sure,” said Mullin. “We weren’t the most talented team but we had great chemistry and got on a roll at the right time.”
He would go on to play several professional seasons winning the Colonial Cup with the Quad City Mallards in the United Hockey League in 1998.
After his playing days he coached the Guelph Jr. B Dominators and the Jr. C Mount Forest Patriots where he was named coach of the year.
Inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame – Athlete category – on June 10, 2015
