Yardbarker
x
Getting to Know Oilersnation: Matthew ‘Woz’ Wozniak
Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Getting to Know Oilersnation: Matthew ‘Woz’ Wozniak

Originally posted on Oilersnation  |  By Alicia LaBine  |  Last updated Jun 20, 2026 8:17 PM ET
Google Add us as a preferred source on Google

Before taking the reins of Oilersnation’s social media, Matthew Wozniak – better known as Woz – was a cofounder of his own soccer content group called “The 90th Minute.” The self-starter had 20,000 subscribers on YouTube and 150,000 TikTok followers and was a popular source of soccer coverage and FIFA gaming content, and it still exists today.

“That’s kind of how I learned how to do social media, and a little bit of editing,” Wozniak said. “I also used to stream on Twitch, streaming FIFA 20 pretty consistently. Before sports media, I was pretty big into Twitch streaming, and a fan of other Twitch streamers.”

His interest in the Oilers didn’t begin until the 2006 Stanley Cup Final appearance from the team, as he was enamoured by the buzz around the city. However, it still took time after that for him to fully become immersed in the sport.

“Just before Taylor Hall got drafted was when I really got into the Oilers. Playing the NHL games, NHL 10 was my first ever NHL game, and I learned a lot about the sport through that… As the love and knowledge grew, I realized it was an industry I wanted to work in.”

Originally, he always wanted to be in commercial production and never saw himself combining his passions for sports and media in a real-world job. One day, the NAIT communications team forwarded him, and other students a message from an employer seeking a student with experience on social media, and who loved the Edmonton Oilers. That employer was Oilersnation.

“This was my first job in sports and in media,” he said, explaining that the interview process with Jay Downton and Baggedmilk went very well. “When I got the job, it was pretty surreal. It was in the middle of the 2021 Canadian division season for the Oilers. I was thrown right into it, which was awesome.”

Now he is known as “The Oilersnation Guy,” as fans see his face on social media almost every day through his influencer-based content he has begun to produce. Around the office, he gets chirped quite often for the influencer voice that he puts on in his videos, and we have dubbed it the “Waccent” – “Woz” and “accent” combined.

“It’s cool how people appreciate the work you do… Sometimes you kind of forget how many thousands of people are viewing your content,” Wozniak said, and he joked that it’s not like he is some A-list celebrity who gets recognized everywhere he goes. “I see 50,000 views and I am kind of numb to it, but sometimes I really think about it and I am like, ‘Wow. That is fifty-thousand people viewing my content.’ I am used to [the attention] now, but it was definitely something I had to get used to.”

His content has gotten him recognition not only from fans, but also from some of the players on the team. He is most known for his avid support of Derek Ryan after the video of him screaming his name at a Riverhawks game on a random summer day went viral.

“The Derek Ryan stuff kind of took a life of its own on social media,” he said. “The autograph session in 2023, he was at a table with Evander Kane, who had quite the cult following at the time, so the line was quite long… I was waving my jersey around and they were about to close the station just as I was getting to the front, but then Derek Ryan said, ‘Nah, I have to sign that one, because there are not many of those around.’”

Then Woz became the only owner of a double-signed Derek Ryan jersey when he went to see the former-Oiler again in 2024. Ryan’s wife followed Wozniak on Twitter, and Ryan had voiced gratitude for the support that Wozniak had shown him.

“Last year Kennedy surprised me when he reached out to Oilersnation. They gave me a jersey because he was leaving Edmonton,” Wozniak said, adding that he had been told they were just going to shoot social media content for a show home. “I got out of the car and walk to the house, and I see Derek Ryan walking out of nowhere with a jersey in his hand. I’m like, ‘Derek Ryan? What is going on? Is he a part of the show home? What is happening here?’”

It’s also important to note that Woz has braved through the last five years with just nine toes. He lost one to a dog in 2021, after it had been startled and attacked his foot.

Q&A

Favourite Oiler

Maybe Evan Bouchard. I have been a pretty staunch defender of his for the past few years. I am loving his game.

Favourite colour

Blue. The Oilers are blue, my eyes are blue. I like black too.

Favourite food

The first one that came to mind was tacos. I like tacos. Birria tacos, like with the soup, it’s so good.

Favourite travel destination

San Diego. I have been there for Twitch Con three times.

Favourite movie

Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship is probably my favourite of the trilogy, but they’re all so good. Aragorn is my favourite, Gandalf is a close second.

Favourite video game

Oooh, thank you! My all time list would be quite long, so it’s hard to say. It’s a toss up between 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 (shoutout Zach Hyman, that’s one of his favourite games too), or World of Warcraft – which I still play almost every week, or every day. Fifa 12 and Fifa 13… NHL 11… I scored 1000 goals with Taylor Hall in his career on NHL 11.

Favourite hockey memory

Can I do two? Connor McDavid’s goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in his rookie season, because I was at that game with my dad, and it was so cool. Then going to the Stanley Cup Final in 2025 with Baggedmilk, since we did something in Game 1 and 2 for Netflix. That Corey Perry goal was electric when he tied the game.

Get to know Oilersnation…


Via The Nation Network

Never miss what matters in the game. From lineup changes to breaking trades and must-read analysis, OilersNation delivers the insight serious hockey fans rely on—straight to your inbox. Sign up for the OilersNation newsletter here!

This article first appeared on Oilersnation and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA.