Adrian Dater
Matt Calvert is a happy and, finally, healthier man. He’s got two young, healthy boys and a happy home life with his wife, Courtney. He just started his own player agency business – Cal Sports Management – and already has several new clients. But the popular former Colorado Avalanche player, who retired last year because of a bad back, admits that it’s been a bittersweet experience seeing the Avs advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
“I’m super jealous I’m not out there with them. I was sitting there in my basement the other night watching them win (Game 4 of Western Conference finals) and almost in tears,” said Calvert, who played with the Avs from 2018-21 and was hugely popular with teammates and fans for his toughness and leadership. “But it was obviously great to see and I’m real happy for them. I hope to get down there for either Game 1 or 2 actually.”
Matt Calvert is only 32 years old. But his career was cut short because of spinal fusion surgery last season, after playing 18 games with the Avs in his third year with the team. Most people probably assumed he had to retire because of the numerous concussions he suffered in his three seasons with the Avs, but it was actually the back that forced him to hang up his skates for good.
On March 23 of last year, Calvert was in warmup with the Avs for a game in Arizona against the Coyotes. He felt a twinge in his back, but didn’t think too much of it. He played the game, and felt OK even though he remembers the back being aggravated more after a hit from Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson. But on the plane ride back, something gave out in the lower back and he was in a huge amount of pain. After consultation with doctors, it was determined he would need spinal fusion surgery. He was told his career was over.
“It was extremely disappointing. It was heartbreaking. I wanted my career to go a couple more years, at least, and I wanted to stay with the Avs. We loved Denver so much, and the organization. It was the most fun I had in my career. We had the same goal last year, to win the Stanley Cup,” Calvert said. “But I’ve stayed in touch with quite a few guys. I’m real happy for them. When they came to Winnipeg (near where Calvert was born and raised, in Brandon, Manitoba) this year, I had dinner with the guys. But I’ll admit, it was tough watching them play this year on TV. I watched three or four games, but it obviously broke my heart watching and not playing.”
It was a tough recovery, physically, for Calvert, who played 566 games in the NHL with Columbus and Colorado. After the spine was fused, he couldn’t really move much for three or four months. For the go-go-go Calvert, that was brutal. After 10-12 months, he finally could live pretty much a normal life again – minus being a player. That was – and still is, he admits – tough emotionally.
But after working as a player development coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, Calvert decided to try life as a player agent, along with his own agent when he was a player, Joe Caliguiri. Just this past week, they opened their own shop, Cal Sports Management and Calvert said they’ve already signed some younger players already in their development and should be signing some established pros soon.
Calvert wants to be much more than just an agent that throws numbers around at a bargaining table. That will probably be more Caligiuri’s job for now. What Calvert really wants to do is be there for players not only emotionally, but actually help them become better players.
“As a player, I went through everything. I understand the grind,” he said. “For me, I’ll even want to get on the ice with players, learn their nuances, pick up on their game. One of my first questions to them probably would be, ‘How can we make you a better player? What are your weaknesses?’ I think one of the first things a player has to do is be honest with yourself. Every player is gonna chirp their agent at some point. Why are we paying these fees? I was probably one of the most low-maintenance players when it came to my agent, but a lot of players are always on the phone with them, sometimes just complaining about ice time and stuff. I remember when I was with Columbus playing for John Tortorella, and while I won’t say the word he used, he basically said, ‘If one more guy calls his agent for more ice time, I’ll personally send you down to the coast myself.'”
Matt Calvert said he might be interested in getting into management at the NHL level someday, but for now Cal Sports Management is a “three-to-five-year build.”
“My No. 1 purpose in life is my family. But No. 2 now is my agency,” Matt Calvert said. “For me, I need a mountain to climb in life. I can’t compete anymore as a player, but I can compete now in this field. We don’t want to grow too big, too fast though. Some agencies are so big that they can’t devote the time necessary to players. At the end of the day, a lot of them are lawyers. For me and Joe, we want to be there at the young stage especially and watch them grow. That’s what I think would give us both the most satisfaction.”