John Matchetts played on the Eveleth High School teams which won three straight Minnesota high school tournaments in the late 40s. He was a center with great speed and was highly recruited. He eventually went to the University of Michigan, where he helped that school also win three straight championships – this time of the NCAA version. In his last NCAA appearance, in 1953, Matchetts was voted the tournament’s MVP. After graduation in 1953, Matchetts served in the Marines as a commissioned officer until 1956. He played on the 1955 and 1957 U.S. World Championship teams in addition to his Olympic participation. In 1956 he took a job as a high school hockey coach at Thief River, Minnesota, which lasted until 1958. He then took over his old high school’s hockey team until 1966 at which time he was named head coach at Colorado College. In 1975 he moved to become head coach of the Air Force Falcons and stayed for eleven seasons. He was named to the NCAA’s 50th Anniversary Team in 1997.
United States