In his first season with the Canadiens, Michael Matheson proved that he can be a pillar of defense when he’s healthy.

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Attacking, he played the best season of his career with 34 points in 48 games. The defender would have performed better if he hadn’t missed 34 games due to various injuries.

Since arriving in the NHL, Matheson has never had the opportunity to have as many minutes and opportunities on the power play.

“There were games where I played a lot and I was used on the power play,” Matheson said of his final years in the NHL. On the other hand, it had never been like this year over a period of 10, 15 or 20 games.

“It gave me confidence to be able to spend so much time on the ice. I was comfortable. »

With the number of injuries among defenders, Matheson has become a must-have for coaches in all situations. In summary, it was a nice surprise and quickly made Jeff Petry forget.

The pride of playing in Montreal

Media and public pressure is a common theme in Montreal. Matheson has adapted very well to his new reality.

“It’s hard to describe the feeling of playing for the Canadians. When my son sees the logo, he says it represents me. It’s something special.

“What stands out compared to other cities is the passion of our supporters. And they’re league wide. It’s different from other teams.

“It’s a fun environment to play in. Even though we had a frustrating season, they were behind us until the end. »

toward buffalo

Matheson and his small family spend the summer season in the Buffalo area. Matheson’s wife is from this American city.

They will move into the house they have been building for the last few months. What will the defender do in the coming weeks?

“I want to spend as much time as possible with my little family,” he explained.