The CBR Brave’s inaugural season has started strongly, currently sitting in the top four with four wins from six matches. It’s quite a turnaround from the historical performances from the former team the Canberra Knights, who never made the AIHL playoffs. Part of the success is due to the family culture the team has produced, and it’s partly thanks to the three sets of brothers the Brave have in their squad.
With Harry and James Byers, and Peter and Darren Taylor being stalwarts of ACT hockey, Canadian-born imports Matthew and Jeff Harvey continue to forge the brotherly feel the club has generated. Born eight years apart, Matt is the more experienced of the pair with Jeff the quieter of the two.
“My parents are from New Zealand, but I didn’t know that made it easier to come to Australia at the time,” Matt said.
While both brothers grew up in Alberta, Canada to New Zealand parents, the 28-year-old has played around the world, starting his international career after attending a free agent tryout in Finland. In London about to take up a substitute teaching position, it was suggested to Harvey that he travel to Finland for the weekend for a tryout with Lämärit. Matt was picked up by the team, and played in Finland’s Soumi-Sarja league, their third highest level of competition. The following season Matt played for the Kufstein Dragons, a team in Austria’s Tiroler Eliteliga, their third highest ranking league.
“After paying in Finland I was offered a good gig in Austria, and won back-to-back championships, in Finland and Austria,” Matt said.
Matt hopes that the good fortune in his international hockey career will rub off on the Brave.
“Our team was last in the competition [in Europe], but rallied and made it in the championships,” Matt said. “I hope we can do it here [in Canberra] as well.”
Away from the ice, both brothers bring an academic level of intelligence. Jeff is studying Economics at University, and at the end of the AIHL season, will be returning to complete his degree and continue with his hockey career. Having already gained a BA in Education, Matt is also working on his Master’s Degree in Psychology.
When asked how he came to be aware of the AIHL Matt says he was introduced to the league by a friend he played recreational hockey with.
“About four years ago I had a friend play for the Sydney Bears, but didn’t know about the AIHL until then,” Matt said. “I’m not quite ready to give away hockey just yet, so thought it would be a good way to spend my summer and see Australia.”
As well as being an academic, Matt is also a published author, making use of his recovery period after knee surgery. Matt kept his feet on the ice and played for the Okotoks Drillers, when he was approached to come and play for the CBR Brave.
“I tore a major ligament in my knee and spent six months in bed and wrote a book,” Matt said.
Matt penned a 76-page short story called ‘A Hockey Nightmare’, which was published last year, and is available on Amazon.com and iTunes. During his time in Austria, Matt heard stories from other imports about teams they had played on in Russia and the Czech Republic that were affiliated with organised crime. Drawing on the stories and anecdotes from his time in Europe, the young adult novel, is about a young Canadian who goes to play hockey in Austria and discovers his team is run by the mafia in a town that is also populated with vampires.
20-year-old Jeff on the other hand is just finding his way in the hockey world, having played AAA Midget in the SCAHL (South Central Albert Hockey League) before being selected on the University of Victoria team in the BCIHL (British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League).
With close ties to Australia and New Zealand and a sister living in Brisbane, hopefully 2014 won’t the last time we see the Harveys on Australian soil.
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