The SLS Peterborough Phantoms are excited to announce the arrival of Canadian goalie, Matt Hennessey, for the 2026/27 season.
At 24, the goaltender from Warman, Saskatchewan in Canada, is in the early days of his career, but has had a young career full of impressive development, achievement and silverware.
He played for Sask Valley Vipers U15’s, before moving onto to the Warman Wildcats at U18 level. Between 2018 and 2020, Hennessey iced for Beardy’s Blackhawks U18 AAA, posting a save percentage of over 90% across 44 games.
The next three years of his career were spent in the AJHL with the Bonnyville Pontiacs and Blackfalds Bulldogs, where he again posted upwards of 90% in save percentage.
For the most recent three years, Matt has played very successfully for Anna Maria College in Massachusetts. He was a real standout in all three seasons, averaging at least 91.5% saves.
In 2025, Matt represented Canada in the U23 Ball Hockey World Championships, making 80 saves across four games - winning the Best Goalie award and returning home with a silver medal.
And last season was an excellent one for the 24-year-old goalie. In 24 games, he conceded just 1.87 goals per game, posted a 94.4% save percentage and conceded just 45 goals in 798 shots.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Anna Maria College were the Champions of their NCAA division, whilst Hennessey was named in the First Team All-Conference and the league’s Player of the Year.
And now, he’ll be heading overseas for the first time as he joins the SLS Peterborough Phantoms!
“I am really excited to sign with the Peterborough Phantoms. From everything I’ve learned about the organization, it’s a great place to play and compete in a winning environment. I can’t wait to get to Peterborough, meet the team, the staff, and play in front of a great fan base.” Hennessey said upon his signing with the club.
Phantoms’ Assistant Coach, Nathan Pollard, said: “Matt was a guy we were really excited to bring in. From our conversations with him, you could tell how competitive he is, and he came across as someone who’ll fit in really well with our group. He’s been a difference-maker over the last couple of seasons, helping his team win a championship while earning Player of the Year. We’re excited to see what he can do here, and if he brings the same compete level and consistency he’s shown over the last few years, we think our fans are really going to enjoy watching him play."
Welcome to Phantoms, #42 Matt Hennessey!