A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Richard Matvichuk first drew attention to himself in the AJHL with the Fort Saskatchewan club in 1988-89. He then enjoyed three strong years with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades where he accumulated 135 points and played rugged defence. The young blueliner was chosen in the first round, eighth overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and was named to the WHL East First All-Star Team the next season. During the 1992-93 season, Matvichuk played 53 games as a rookie and was eased into a number of different situations while also seeing action with the IHL's Kalamazoo Wings. The next year, Matvichuk relocated with the franchise to Dallas and spent two seasons splitting his time between the NHL and Kalamazoo. Matvichuk became a regular in 1995-96 and gradually assumed more responsibility as the Stars improved and became a Stanley Cup contender. In 1999 he played sound positional hockey and registered six points while helping Dallas win their first Stanley Cup. Over the next two seasons, Matvichuk's experience allowed him to jump up into the rush and work the point on the power play occasionally. He helped the Stars reach the finals in 2000 and kept them in the upper echelons of the Western Conference in 2001 before they were swept by the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the playoffs.



In the summer of 2004 Matvichuk signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils, after spending his first 12 seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota/Dallas organization. Married, wife’s name is Tracy…The couple has two sons, nine-year-old Cole and two-year-old Dillon… They also have two dogs, a Rottweiler named Jasmine and an Australian Shepherd named Dauber…Is licensed to fly helicopters, once flew from Dallas, TX to his summer home in Kelowna, B.C…Lists MXC: Most Extreme Challenge and The Casino as his favorite TV shows…Is friends with Vinnie Paul, the drummer from the heavy metal band Pantera…Lists golf, water skiing, jet skiing and weightlifting among his hobbies…Says pasta and chicken are part of his typical pre-game meal.