Calvert began his junior career with a brief stint for the Winkler Flyers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, during which he accumulated 15 penalty minutes in his only game with the club. The following year was his first of three seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. He was named alternate captain for the Wheat Kings in his second season with the team. After being drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Calvert opted to return to the Wheat Kings for a third season and a chance to win the 2010 Memorial Cup, set to be hosted by Brandon. He was named captain of the Wheat Kings for the 2009–10 season, during which he earned Second-Team Eastern Conference All-Star and Memorial Cup All-Star honours. Calvert is also noted for scoring a natural short-handedhat-trick against the Calgary Hitmen in the 2010 WHL Eastern Conference Finals. With this feat, Calvert tied the WHL record for most short-handed goals in one game and became the only player in WHL history to score three short-handed goals in one period in the playoffs.
Professional
Columbus Blue Jackets
Calvert began the 2010–11 season with the Blue Jackets' American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons. Calvert was later called up to Columbus on January 6, 2011, and made his NHL debut two days later in a 6–0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He would score his first career NHL goal one game later against goaltender Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings. The Blue Jackets would assign Calvert to Springfield for the duration of the 2011 NHL All-Star Break before bringing him back up when they resumed regular season play. On February 25, 2011, Calvert scored a natural hat-trick for the Blue Jackets in a 5–3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. It was the first hat-trick of Calvert's NHL career and the 19th hat-trick in Blue Jackets history. On April 19, 2014, Matt Calvert helped the Blue Jackets earn their first Stanley Cup playoff win by scoring a short-handed goal in the second period and the eventual game-winning goal in their 4–3 double overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Three years later, during the 2017 playoffs, Calvert was disciplined by the league for an on-ice attack on Tom Kühnhackl of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 2017–18 season, Calvert proved his versatility throughout the lineup, registering 9 goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 69 games, matching career highs in assists and points while leading the team with two short-handed tallies. He also produced four points in six playoff contests.
Colorado Avalanche
On July 1, 2018, as a free agent, Calvert left the Blue Jackets after eight seasons to sign a three-year, $8.4 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche.
