Matthew Peca
Canadian forward drafted by Lightning, first Quinnipiac Bobcat to score in NHL.
Matthew Peca (born April 27, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL). The Tampa Bay Lightning picked him in the seventh round, 201st overall, of the 2011 NHL entry draft, and he made his NHL debut in the 2016–17 season.
Before turning pro, Peca played for the Pembroke Lumber Kings in the Central Canada Hockey League, winning the league title and the Royal Bank Cup in his final season there. Although the Windsor Spitfires drafted him in the Ontario Hockey League priority selection, he was claimed off waivers by the Kitchener Rangers the following offseason but never played for them because he had committed to Quinnipiac University.
Peca spent four years at Quinnipiac, playing for the Bobcats men’s ice hockey team in NCAA Division I’s ECAC Hockey. He earned a spot on the 2011–12 ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team as a freshman and, in his final season, was named to the 2014–15 All-ECAC Hockey First Team and served as team co-captain.
After graduating, Peca signed an amateur tryout with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, before inking a two-year entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on April 1, 2015. The Lightning called him up on December 27, 2016, and he made his NHL debut the next day in a 4–3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens. On December 31, he recorded his first NHL point with an assist on a goal by Alex Killorn, and on January 3, 2017, he scored his first NHL goal against Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, becoming the first Quinnipiac Bobcat to score in the NHL. He signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Lightning on July 5, 2017, and was named to the 2018 AHL All-Star Game on January 4, 2018.
As a free agent, Peca signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on July 1, 2018. He scored his first goal for Montreal on November 8, 2018, in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In the final year of that contract, he failed to secure an NHL role out of training camp, was placed on waivers, and was assigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. After five scoreless games on recall with Montreal, he was traded at the NHL trade deadline on February 24, 2020, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Aaron Luchuk and a 2020 draft pick.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1993-04-27
- Birth Place
- Petawawa, Ontario, Canada
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 9
- Weight Lb
- 175
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- AHL
- Team
- Rochester Americans
- Former Teams
- Tampa Bay Lightning / Montreal Canadiens / Ottawa Senators / St. Louis Blues
- Draft
- 201st overall
- Draft Team
- Tampa Bay Lightning
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Peca played four years at Quinnipiac University, earning ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team honors in 2011–12 and First Team All-ECAC in 2014–15, when he also served as team co-captain. Before college, he won the Royal Bank Cup with the Pembroke Lumber Kings. After signing with the Lightning in 2015, he made his NHL debut on December 28, 2016, in a 4–3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens. He recorded his first NHL point (an assist on a goal by Alex Killorn) on December 31, 2016, and scored his first NHL goal on January 3, 2017, against Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, becoming the first Quinnipiac Bobcat to score in the NHL.
Peca later signed with the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and St. Louis Blues, spending significant time in the AHL. He was named captain of the Springfield Thunderbirds for the 2023–24 season. On January 11, 2025, he became the Thunderbirds' franchise points leader with an assist on a Dalibor Dvorský goal. He set career highs in goals (31) and points (63) in 67 games during the 2024–25 season and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team. In March 2026, he was traded back to the Syracuse Crunch, and in July 2026 he signed a two-year AHL contract with the Rochester Americans.
Reader's Guide
Matthew Peca's career illustrates the path of a late-round draft pick who carved out a professional career primarily in the AHL while earning brief NHL stints. His selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round of the 2011 draft was followed by a four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac, where he earned all-conference honors and served as co-captain. His NHL debut with the Lightning in December 2016 and his first goal in January 2017 marked him as the first Quinnipiac Bobcat to score in the NHL, a milestone for his university's program.
Peca's professional journey included contracts with the Lightning, Canadiens, Senators, and Blues, but his most sustained success came in the AHL. He was named to the 2018 AHL All-Star Game and later became the Springfield Thunderbirds' all-time points leader in January 2025. His 2024–25 season, in which he set career highs in goals and points and earned AHL First All-Star Team honors, represented the peak of his AHL production. His return to the Syracuse Crunch in 2026 and subsequent signing with the Rochester Americans in July 2026 continued his AHL career. Peca's legacy is that of a reliable minor-league forward who achieved notable firsts for his college and set franchise records in the AHL.
Did You Know?
- On January 3, 2017, he became the first Quinnipiac Bobcat to score an NHL goal.
- He became the Springfield Thunderbirds' franchise points leader on January 11, 2025.
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