It is pretty much impossible to argue against the statement that Brian Leetch is the best defenseman to come out of Cheshire, Connecticut.
The Hall of Famer was close to a point-per-game producer from the back line, with even better production during his playoff appearances. Connecticut defensemen (or any American defenseman, really) might set him as the bar to match, but, thus far, none have really done it. Yet, quietly, in the shadows of such a daunting figure, another Cheshire native has carved out quite the hockey career. It might not end in Toronto, but he’s hoping he can at least match Leetch in professional championships.
For a big guy, Matt Generous likes to keep things small. The seventh-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres certainly drew enough attention with his play for New England in the EJHL, but, when it came time to choose a college, he preferred to keep it low key. “I really fell in love with St. Lawrence on my visit. The coaching staff was great, and the small school seemed perfect for my personality and what I was looking for. After talking with Joe Marsh, I was really excited to commit there,” Generous recalled.
St. Lawrence was equally as excited to bring him in. “Coach Marsh was all about hard work and high compete,” St. Lawrence assistant coach Mike Hurlbut started, “and you throw those attributes that Matt had on him along with his size and his skating ability, I think he was a pretty attractive player.”
After winning back-to-back ECAC titles in 2000 and 2001, the Saints hadn’t even made it back to the semifinals. They wanted to return to relevancy, and hoped players like Generous would play a role in getting them there.
Given a major role even as a freshman, Generous would help the Saints begin that climb back. In his sophomore season, the strong defensive play of Generous helped St. Lawrence to a first-place finish during the ECAC regular season. That 2006-07 season also was strong enough to earn St. Lawrence a bid into the national tournament. Though the team would never match that success during his career, Generous would add a distinguished accomplishment to his résumé in his senior season: ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman. “Being named ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman was a great honor. It was not something I expected, so it was a nice surprise,” he humbly acknowledged, before extending credit to his teammates and coaches.
Thankfully, it is something still appreciated in hockey circles. While names like Erik Karlsson, Phil Housley and Leetch have wowed with their ability to bring offense from the back end, there remains room for the stay-at-home types. That has been beneficial for Generous. “It can definitely be difficult at times being a defensive defenseman,” he admitted. “Obviously, scoring goals and getting points feels great and is a bit more exciting. At the same time, every coach wants guys to play their own role, and I’ve learned and embraced this role for years. It’s what continues to get me jobs.”
Coach Hurlbut agreed that Generous’ ability to adapt and use his physical gifts has probably extended his career: “I think for Matt … he wasn’t a kid that went end to end with the puck. Now, as a defensive defenseman, he’s got that great skating ability to allow him to compete with the high-skill forwards over there.”
When his St. Lawrence career ended, Generous did the common senior spring stint in the AHL, playing for the Portland Pirates. He would spend the entire 2009-10 season in Maine’s largest city. On a team where two of the top three scorers were defensemen, Generous might have gone more unnoticed than his peers, but he still had an effective debut season, although he did admit to some struggles adjusting. “Coming out of college, I was used to a short season,” he said. “I felt good for the first half of the year, but really fell off the second half. Looking back, I wasn’t doing the things I needed to do to feel my best on the ice.”
The second-half dropoff meant that Generous would have to work his way back up to the AHL after opening the next season in Reading of the ECHL. He would, but even that one year of battling and uncertainty had begun taking a mental toll.
So, the next fall, he took his talents to southwestern Finland. While Rauma was bigger than Cheshire and dwarfed Canton, the seaside city seem to be more his speed. Maybe those small-city comforts brought his game back. There seemed to be only one issue that he had to overcome in adapting to Finland. “The hardest adjustment coming to Liiga doesn’t have anything to do with hockey,” he noted. “The style of play is actually pretty similar to North America, and the teams help make the transition seamless, both at the rink and at home. The hardest thing for me is the darkness in the winter. It’s something I don’t think I will ever get used to.”
The short days weren’t enough to scare him off, though. Generous would spend six years in Finland (three in Rauma, a half-season in even farther north Vaasa, and 2½ in Helsinki). During that time, he has established himself as a valuable defenseman in the league. His teams have lost four times in the semifinals and once in the final, a heartbreaker in six to Tappara. Despite the tough ending, he considered that season his most enjoyable.
However, wanting to see what else Europe had to offer, he decided to give Liiga a break. Last season, Generous joined Salzburg in the Austrian EBEL. Again he was part of immense team success, but the team lost in Game 7 of the finals. Even though he enjoyed the experience of a different European league, he found himself missing the familiarity and strange comfort of Suomi. “I liked living in Salzburg — the city is amazing,” he complimented, “and Red Bull is a top-notch organization, but the hockey was a lot different than Finland. The EBEL is a lot more run and gun, and not much structure. For my game, I like playing more structured hockey. I’m sure if I was a really skilled, offensive forward, I would love playing there, but I’m not, so it was a bit frustrating at times.”
Fortunately, with his track record in Finland, it wasn’t hard to find a team willing to let him return. This season, Generous will try his luck with Ilves. It is a young squad up front with some veterans (Generous among them) on the back end. He is hoping this combination might be the one that finally pays off. “I won a championship in Midgets, and the coach made a comment about enjoying it because you never know if you will win another. I remember thinking at that time, like, ‘What’s he talking about? There are plenty more championships to be won.’ After three years of juniors, four years of college, and 10 years pro, I haven’t won another one. It would mean everything to be a champion again.”
Ilves has given him the hope that it’s possible. Thirty-four games into the season, Ilves sat in 10th place at 13-14-7. Generous had yet to register a point, but it’s probably the least of his concerns. There’s only one goal he’s really shooting for.
