In the hockey world, it’s often said that patience is key with defensemen, and Mike Matheson may be reminding us why.
After five seasons with the Florida Panthers, after two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Quebec defender returned home to Montreal as part of the trade that sent Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling to Pittsburgh in July.
His start to the season was delayed due to injury, but the 29-year-old has since scored 19 points in 30 games, better than his best offensive season in 2021-22, when he earned 31 points in 74 games with the band at Sidney Crosby.
We ask him if he is not having his best season in this league, and he does not hesitate too much before answering.
“I think so, I feel better than ever, he explained Wednesday in Brossard. There are always things to improve, but that’s the way I have to go: I see that I’m doing some things well, but that I also have to improve other aspects of my game, to become more consistent for example. But I like where I am right now. »
The Canadian also likes where he is, especially Martin St-Louis, who sees in him a defender with a very bright future.
He plays a bigger role than he had in Pittsburgh, noted the Montreal coach. When you change teams, there is a period of adaptation, and it was not easy for him when he arrived here, with the injuries and all. But there, he adheres to our systems, he is able to be more predictable in his game.
Martin St Louis
“It helps his game a lot, knowing where his teammates are going to be on the ice. He reads the game better, and we see that he has what it takes to play as required. He’s playing really good hockey right now, and that’s encouraging for the future. »
In Mike Matheson’s story, the significance of this change of scenery cannot be underestimated. He had been a Panthers first-round pick on 23e in total, in the 2012 draft, but he himself admits to having had a difficult time at Sunrise, “as a player, but also as a person. »
Among other things, there was this two-game suspension for a stroke against Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks, a gesture that had earned him a lot of disparaging comments on social networks. In the 2020 summer playoffs, he was sidelined by Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, and many unknown pundits, from the anonymous comfort of their basement, then concluded that Matheson had become a liability. at the Panthers blue line.
“But all of that allowed me to become the player I am today,” he adds. Then I went to Pittsburgh, and I learned a lot there in two seasons, I learned like never before, and also I had the chance to play more often. With the Canadian, I find myself playing even more, and I think I’m ready for that. Since the last games, I’m starting to build my game a little more. »
“That’s the type of player I wanted to be when I was younger. But it’s difficult to add an offensive touch and be good in defense at the same time. I didn’t want to take too many risks on the ice, so I worked so hard on my defensive game that I forgot my offensive game. There, I manage the defensive side much better, my stick is more solid, I make better decisions in my zone. With the role given to me here, I can show a more offensive side to what I do. »
As the Canadiens prepare to host the New York Rangers on Thursday night, Mike Matheson is taking an important place on the Montreal blue line.
With three more years of contract to go, this place is set to grow.
“I didn’t like the player I was before, but I know now that I’m in control of that… I control who I am as a player, and I also control what I hope to become. »
Guhle on ice
Injured last week during a game in Anaheim, defender Kaiden Guhle was in optional training on Wednesday in Brossard. The status of Guhle, who wore a no-body-checking jersey, is unknown for Thursday night’s game at the Bell Center against the New York Rangers. Another injured defenseman in California, Justin Barron, skated alone Wednesday in Brossard.