ROCHESTER, NY – Former RIT men’s hockey captain Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) and sophomore Matt Abt (Leduc, Alberta/Whitecourt Wolverines ) will both compete in a National Hockey League (NHL) prospects development camp in July. Garbowsky will play for the Buffalo Sabres, who will hold their annual development camp from July 6-12. Abt will suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose development camp runs from July 7-12.
Garbowsky enjoyed an incredible season for the Tigers, becoming a finalist for the 2015 Hobey Baker Award. Garbowsky, the 2015 Atlantic Hockey Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Forward of the Year, led Division I with 729 face-off wins, was tied for third with 26 goals, tied for fourth with 54 points, and fifth nationally with a plus-29 rating. He led the league in scoring during league play with 44 points on 23 goals and 21 assists in 28 AHC contests and recorded 13 multiple-point outings this season, including a pair of hat-tricks. Garbowsky was also named the Atlantic Hockey Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player.
On Feb. 14, Garbowsky became the seventh player in RIT’s Division I history to reach 100 career points. He finished his career with 48 goals and 66 assists in 128 games. His 114 points are fifth best at RIT in the Division I era. He was also named the RIT Male Senior Athlete of the Year. In April, he signed a professional deal with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) and is expected to play there in 2015-16.
“Matt Garbowsky was rewarded for having a great senior season,” said RIT head coach Wayne Wilson. “Matt brings a lot to the table where he excels in the defensive side of the puck, can add offense, win face-offs, play on the penalty kill and power play. Both Buffalo and Rochester saw that in his game and he will be a player Rochester can count on next year as he gains experience in the professional ranks.”
Abt, who stands 6-foot-4, was a key contributor on the blue line in his freshman season for the Tigers in 2014-15. Abt, an Atlantic Hockey Championship All-Tournament Team selection, had two goals and seven assists in 33 games. Abt, named the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week on March 31, scored the game’s opening goal and was plus-2 in the 5-1 Atlantic Hockey Championship win over Mercyhurst.
“Matt Abt has worked hard at his game and has a lot of potential,” said Wilson, who enters his 17th season at RIT in 2015-16. “He is a big player that skates very well. As his game matures and he gets stronger he will have a chance to play professionally. I think Toronto sees that same potential in his game.”
