In an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Montreal Canadiens’ veteran defenseman Mike Matheson lifted the curtain on the happenings in the Habs’ dressing room during Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres. There’s a reason the 32-year-old blueliner has a letter on his jersey; it’s not just about what he does on the ice, but also about what he does off it.
During the intermission between the third frame and the start of overtime, Matheson spoke up in the Canadiens’ room:
The thing that I wanted to get across was just to look back at your eight-year-old self and ask him how he’d be feeling. Just kind of remind yourself that this is exactly what, whether you’re on the outdoor rink growing up or playing ball hockey, you’d be pretending you’re in this situation: Game 7, going into overtime. I feel like putting that into perspective sometimes takes the pressure off a little bit and just lets you go play, and I feel like we did that in overtime.
– How Matheson motivated his teammates
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Matheson may not have gotten a point on Alex Newhook’s series-winning goal, but he was on the ice and watched it unfold in front of his eyes. He played 31:28 on that night. The rearguard might not have put up a lot of points in these playoffs; he only has a goal and two assists in 16 games, but he is still contributing in other ways, and that’s a perfect example of it.
Friedman also revealed that the Mathesons welcomed their third child the morning after that Game 7 win. You have to hand it to the Canadiens’ kids; they know not to show up during games. Both Matheson and Suzuki welcomed new arrivals in these playoffs, and neither had to miss any action. The defenseman did admit that he has thought about putting his newborn on the Stanley Cup, smiling.
There are other news arrivals on the way, as Noah Dobson, Alexandre Carrier, Samuel Montembeault and Brendan Gallagher will all be welcoming new family members soon. Hopefully, they’ve all got the memo about showing up when the Canadiens aren’t playing.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
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