Matt Bradley is one of the big stars at HC Bozen. © Thomas Debelyak

He donated money for his goals: Bozen's top scorer with heart

HC Bozen is in full playoff mode – and so is star striker Matt Bradley. The Canadian's story is special – and it's all about surfboards, scoring points and a touching gesture that caused quite a stir in his home country.

March 07, 2025

If Matt Bradley hadn't become a professional ice hockey player, if he hadn't made a name for himself in Europe with his outstanding qualities, if he wasn't one of Bozen's great hopes for the long-awaited title this year - then the 28-year-old would probably be far away now. Very far away, not to mention on the other side of the world. "If I hadn't become an ice hockey player, I'd probably be a surfer on a beautiful beach in Hawaii now," says Bradley.

A big grin flashes across the striker's face, not for the first time in our conversation, which we have after an intensive training session in the locker room of the Sparkasse Arena. And yes: With his muscle-toned body, his casual clothing style, his mischievous permanent smile and the wave tattoo on his left forearm, Bradley could easily pass as a Hawaiian surfer. That is, after all, his great passion. In Bolzano, however, people are still happy that the striker is currently surfing the white and red waves of success rather than in the Pacific Ocean.

Scoring for his life: Matt Bradley. © HC Bozen

Matt Bradley was one of the transfer bombs presented by sports director Dieter Knoll last summer. After all, the North American has already crowned himself the league's top scorer in the ICE Hockey League, in the 2022/23 season with the Vienna Capitals. After a one-year adventure with the Straubing Tigers in the DEL, Bradley moved to Bolzano, where he promptly became his team's top scorer with 17 goals and 26 assists. And with an impressive 49 penalty minutes, the North American is also someone who can hit hard.

Matt Bradley goes on the ice with a lot of emotions. © HC Bozen

Matt Bradley is not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a man with a special story. It begins in Canada, where Matt grew up near the Olympic city of Vancouver, in the far west of the country, right on the Pacific Ocean. His family is crazy about sports, one brother snowboarded, the other played baseball, Matt loved surfing - and of course ice hockey. It quickly became clear that the boy had great talent in the game with the black hard rubber puck. He shot the Canadian junior leagues to pieces and was eventually drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round.

He launched a fundraising campaign for breast cancer research

But it wasn't these circumstances that made Bradley hit the headlines, the echoes of which reverberated far beyond the province's borders. Rather, it was an action that not every 20-year-old would think of. In the fall of 2017 - Bradley was playing for the Regina Pats in the WHL junior league at the time - the striker launched a fundraiser for breast cancer research. In October, breast cancer month, he donated five dollars from his own pocket for every point scored.

Matt Bradley at the photo shoot with SportNews. © det

They raised $85, which is not a small amount for a teenager. But Bradley was not satisfied with that. He used his platform (junior hockey is very popular in Canada) to raise funds. That year, around $4.000 was raised, which not only earned Bradley a lot of recognition, but also a humanitarian award from his league.

“These charitable values ​​were instilled in me by my family.” Matt Bradley

But this campaign also has a sad background. "At that time, my friend Molly's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. When she was diagnosed, I had already started my fundraising campaign. That gave me extra motivation," says Bradley. The mother is now doing better - and his girlfriend has now become his fiancée. "My family taught me these charitable values. I wanted to do a good thing and help others," says Bradley.

His Italian roots

Matt Bradley has a touching story behind him, which also has another special feature. "My grandparents come from Udine and only emigrated to Canada in the 60s. So I have an Italian passport," he says. That's another reason why Bradley is determined to win the title with HC Bozen this year. Because a surfer boy like him knows that whether in Vancouver, Bozen or Hawaii - you can ride a wave of success anywhere.

ICE Hockey League – Quarterfinals, Game 3 (Best-of-7)

Friday March 7th

Klagenfurter AC – HC Pustertal (19.15:XNUMX p.m.)
Score in the series: 1:1

Red Bull Salzburg – Fehervar AV19 (19.15 pm)
Score in the series: 2:0

HC Bozen – Villacher SV (19.45 p.m.)
Score in the series: 1:1