Quitting Hockey: Mike Matheson Might Never Have Joined the Habs

Mathis Therrien
Quitting Hockey: Mike Matheson Might Never Have Joined the Habs
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Since joining the Montreal Canadiens, Mike Matheson has been a reliable presence on the Habs' defensive corps, both offensively and defensively.

He's had his ups and downs, but for the past two seasons, he's masterfully stabilized the Habs' top six, logging a lot of strong minutes per game.

Among other things, this has allowed Lane Hutson to shine even brighter.

The Canadiens are therefore truly fortunate to have had Mike Matheson in their ranks for four seasons now.

As Matheson prepares to begin his 12th NHL season, the veteran explained in an interview with TVA Sports' QMI agency that things could have turned out very differently.

In fact, the Habs' #8 came very close to calling it quits during his final season with the Florida Panthers.

As Wilson Salaun reports in his article for TVA Sports, the 32-year-old veteran seriously considered quitting hockey because he was feeling so bad.

His mental health was at an all-time low, which was affecting his performance on the ice—even causing him to lose ice time in every game.

Matheson explains that he had become very difficult to be around, both at home and at the arena, and that things weren't getting any better.

Fortunately, the Quebec-born defenseman was eventually traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where Sidney Crosby and Kristopher Letang helped him get back on track.

In addition to the help from Crosby and Letang, the arrival of his first child opened Matheson's eyes to the fact that there were far more important things in life than hockey, and that hockey—as important as it was—shouldn't define his mental health or his overall well-being.

In short, that trade saved Matheson's career—he had seriously considered calling it quits at age 26—and he would never have become a Canadiens player otherwise.

We can thank Matheson's wife, Crosby, and Letang.


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