No need for expensive market research to find out: Chris Wideman’s sweaters are quite rare in the stands of the Bell Centre. In fact, have we even seen one yet?
Supporters, however, Wideman has several. They are sitting around him in the locker room.
On the ice, the 33-year-old American – it was his birthday the day before yesterday – is not having the season of his dreams. He was left out for 15 of his team’s 40 games. In November, he only played twice. He still hasn’t scored and has been limited to four assists. His ice time, less than 15 minutes per game, is the lowest among the nine backs who have worn the blue-white-red so far.
However, “behind the scene”, its impact is enormous, assures Joel Edmundson. “He is the one who brings life to the locker room. You need a guy like him on all the teams, ”added number 44. All the more so in painful streaks like the seven-game losing streak that the Habs have just gone through.
“We laugh with him and even at him,” continued Edmundson, all smiles. He is not afraid to laugh at himself. When things are not going so well, it brings positives, it helps us to concentrate. He’s been playing professionally for a long time, and it shows. He always says there are no bad days in this league. It’s his state of mind. »
We have to believe that Wideman is coherent, because he had essentially made the same speech a few minutes earlier.
“Everyone has their story, their career,” he told reporters after the Canadian’s morning practice. The things that I experienced, it added to my experience. I would take 6 or 7 straight losses in the NHL before many other things. »
The defender’s journey, let’s remember, was not a long straight line, on the contrary. After a promising debut with the Ottawa Senators in the mid-2010s, he was forced to take a long detour through the American League and even the KHL before signing with the Habs in the summer of 2021.
More than once, he told how difficult his time in Russia had been. So the Montreal market and the intransigence of its supporters, he does not take offense at all. Rather, he sees it as an “additional responsibility” that he and his teammates need to be aware of.
“It puts a little more pressure, but it’s part of the business, he believes. You don’t want to play for a team that doesn’t care. »
Has he ever been part of any such organizations? “Oh yes! he laughs. But not in the NHL. »
“It’s cool to know that you’re also being followed,” he continues. Is it crazy sometimes? Sure. But people are passionate, and so are we. When fans are frustrated with our game, so are we. »
On a personal level, Wideman approaches his situation philosophically. Even if he concedes that he would prefer to have a better season “statistically”, he does not care about the use made of it by his coach. The latter, moreover, praised the “good minutes” given to him by his defender these days. As proof, the formation will remain unchanged in this position this Monday against the Seattle Kraken.
“Obviously you want to play every game, but at the stage where I am in my career, and given [la situation] where the team is, I know I won’t be in training every night,” Wideman points out. When I get the chance to play, I have to work as hard as I can to get another chance. And I have to do it again afterwards. »
Often condemned to the stands, he says he is “comfortable” with the idea of “contributing differently”. “I want to help guys stay on track, stay positive. I think I manage to do it quite well. »
Mike Hoffman in training
This Monday night, the Canadian will essentially present the same formation as the one that defeated the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. Only exception: Mike Hoffman will take the place of Anthony Richard. The latter was limited to less than five minutes of play on Saturday, while Hoffman returns after two games on the press gallery. Jake Allen will be the starting goaltender for the Canadiens. The meeting, exceptionally, will begin at 7:30 p.m.