Many of the Montreal Canadiens players who spoke to the press on Friday were very optimistic about the future and the next step forward for this young club, but 31-year-old veteran Mike Matheson was a bit more grounded in his approach.
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When he was asked how different his feelings about the season were compared to the previous season he said it wasn’t all that different since the team didn’t achieve the ultimate goal, for him, only one team can feel like it has truly succeeded every season and that’ s the Stanley Cup champions.
Of course, he did concede that the young Canadiens accomplished a lot, reaching the playoffs for the first time since the start of the rebuild. He knows, however, that taking that step this season doesn’t guarantee the team will be able to reach the postseason next year as well. This is why veteran leadership is important; having a guy who can keep the kids grounded and realistic is essential.
Asked how tough it was for him to play so many minutes this past season and whether he believes he’ll have to play as much this year, he explained:
It’s fun for me to have that responsibility, I know it’s important to our team that I take those minutes and do as much as I can with them. I wouldn’t say it was more tiring, my body is feeling as good as it has ever felt in my career and that’s why I’m going to the World Championship. I want to keep playing important games for next year, I’m excited to keep doing as much as I can to help the team reach new highs that we know we can reach.- Mike Matheson on playing big minutes this season.
The blueliner explains that if the Canadiens think they can just do what they did this season and believe that will get them to the playoffs, they will fail. He adds that every year is more challenging and that the league won’t just let them make the playoffs because they made it this season. He feels Montreal will need to reach the next level and that every team is going to get better over the offseason.
Asked if he believes the team is ready to take an influx of youth next season or if they need to keep a good amount of veterans around, he explained there’s value in both options, having experienced players who have lived through things in the league is an advantage.
The rearguard is clearly looking forward to playing in the World Championship and very grateful to his wife Emily who understand what it means to play for your country. She represented Team USA from 2010 to 2019 playing in both World Championships and Olympics games before becoming the captain of the defunct Buffalo Beauts in the National Women’s hockey league which eventually became the Premier Hockey Federation. If she wasn’t on board, the blueliner couldn’t go since they have two young children.
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