For the first time since 2019, the Matignon boys hockey team has returned to playing at Stoneham Arena, their home rink. In the latter half of the 20th century under Coach Marty Pierce, Matignon High School had one of the most revered hockey teams in the state.
The Matignon Warriors would go on to win eight state championships with the first in 1975 and the last in 1993. The program would see four players playing for the NHL; Shawn McEachern, Steve Leach, Tom O’Regan, and Niko Dimitrakos.
Pierce retired in 2004 after twenty-nine years leaving behind a legacy of successful hockey seasons. For the rest of the early 2000s, the boy’s hockey team was unable to win any more state championships. The Warrior’s 2018-19 season would be the last with a 0-20-1 record. The following year Matignon was unable to field its own team due to a lack of players.
As a result, Matignon entered a co-op agreement with Revere and Malden. Matignon would continue to play with Revere and Malden through the co-op for the next two seasons.
Following the 2020-2021 season Matignon was determined to bring back its hockey program. Athletic director Mike Lahiff ’75 took the first step of hiring DJ Pinkham as head coach to bring back the boy’s hockey team. Pinkham has a long history with hockey being a former goalie for Arlington Catholic and Assumption University as well as coaching for the Boston Imperials.
Under Pinkham, Matignon was able to field its own boy’s hockey team for the 2021-22 season. Currently, Matignon has fourteen players on its roster four of them being seniors. When asked about his thoughts on the team Pinkham said “We’re excited to be back as a hockey team, we’re gonna work hard and win.”
THE CAMBRIDGE MATIGNON MIRROR 